Laura is a writer, illustrator, and artist living in New York City.

If you know a veteran, you know they’ve gone through things most non-veterans can’t even imagine, all for the service and protection of their country and its people.


But while many are lucky enough to come home to supportive friends and family to help them readjust to civilian life, many others aren’t so lucky.

Tragically, many of these men and women, even after serving and sometimes suffering, end up with nowhere at all to call home.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) estimates that on any given night, there are nearly 40,000 homeless veterans on the street, and about 12,700 of those are the young veterans of recent conflicts.


In all, veterans make up 8.8 percent of the homeless population in the U.S.

Veteran homelessness usually stems from a lack of adequate health care, lingering effects of PTSD, and substance abuse, all of which come from a lack of community support. It’s a tragedy, but there is hope.

The Veterans Community Project (VCP), based in Kansas City, MO, is transforming an empty lot into a new neighborhood for at least 50 homeless veterans in the area. The VCP’s three founders are veterans themselves, so they know the trials that returning soldiers face.

To keep things affordable and help as many people as possible, the VCP is building tiny homes on the lot. Tiny homes have become stylish in the past few years, but they’re also a great, practical way to solve housing issues for homeless and low-income people.

Check out what the VCP is doing for homeless veterans in Missouri, and you might just get inspired to chip in to help those in your area!

[H/T: NX2]