Sen. Steve Conway recently attended the grand opening of the Orting Veterans Village, a tiny house community of 35 homes that serves veterans experiencing homelessness.
Conway was also on hand to present the Quixote Champion Award to Larry Geringer, President of the Puget Sound Veterans Hope Center, for his role in bringing the Orting Veterans Village project to fruition.
Conway has long prioritized veterans and active duty military through his work in the legislature. He helped secure funding for the Orting Village project through a capital budget request.
“Our men and women in uniform sacrifice so much for us,” Conway said. “When they find themselves going through a tough time, the least we can do is return the favor. These tiny homes serve as a promise kept to our military to fight hard for them just as they fought for us.”
The Orting Veterans Village is part of the Quixote Communities network of tiny houses for people experiencing homelessness. There are also 30 tiny homes at Quixote Village in the Olympia area and the permitting process is underway to build another veteran’s village in Shelton which will contain another 30 homes. Conway also helped secure funding for that project.
In addition to housing, the Orting Village includes a large community center with a double kitchen, dining area, laundry facilities, TV room, and supportive services such as such as case management, transportation, and mental health therapy.
“It sounds obvious but the first step to ending homelessness is to get people into homes and these tiny houses are proving to be a very effective remedy to a complex issue,” Conway said. “I’ll continue to work to build homes and proudly vote for policies that address the root causes of Washington’s homelessness crisis.”
You can watch the opening ceremonies of the Orting Veterans Village here.
