Construction starts for Mishawaka Troop Town

 

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- Construction has started for Mishawaka Troop Town, a tiny home village to provide transitional housing for veterans facing homelessness.

Ground first broke Veteran’s Day 2022, but community builds are now taking place each Saturday in the lot next to the VFW 360 on E. Jefferson Boulevard.

"We believe in the State of Indiana this will be the first tiny house village for transitional veterans,” said Jim Metherd, Troop Town’s co-founder and president.

He said the choice for tiny home is because they are easy to manage while still giving the veteran tenants their own space to call home.

It’s not a bed in a shelter, but instead will be four 800 sq. Ft. tiny home duplexes, allowing for eight veterans at a time.

The complex will include a welcome center and a memorial.

Veterans can stay up to two years, and will receive services for their needs, whether it be financial, educational, or employment-related, to get them back on their feet.

There have been two community build days so far, and Metherd said they will build each Saturday (weather permitting) until the job is done.

This past weekend, workers from Lippert Components, like Nick Bugajski, donated their time to work on Troop Town’s welcome center.

"As a veteran myself, what Troop Town Mishawaka is doing is absolutely amazing,” Bugajski said. “It benefits our military community, but more importantly, it allows organizations like Lippert to get involved which also has a large veteran community that wants to be a force for good."

The project total is about $1.2 million, according to Metherd, and community donations are welcome.

Learn more or donate here.