PORT JERVIS – Tiny homes for veterans, built by Orange County BOCES students, will be delivered to Port Jervis in the near future. The homes will resemble a regular home but are smaller and will have all the components a formerly homeless veteran needs in their home, as well as support services to help them settle in.
Ten tiny houses will become a small veterans village in the Tri-State, built along a clear, bubbling stream at the city’s entrance on East Main Street.
As in other communities, veterans returning to the tri-state community after their military service sometimes face difficulties in their return. They may be unemployed, homeless, or have physical and emotional issues that hinder their return. The mission of the Port’s tiny home village owner, the Rumshock Foundation, is not only to combat homelessness among American veterans, but also to connect them with counseling, job placement, and more. The first step for Rumshock is 10 new tiny homes.
Rumshock President Bill Whetsel said everything is on schedule so the first tiny house can be delivered this fall, followed by more before winter. It has been a long process of purchasing and preparing for what Whetsel sees as the perfect location for the tiny house. Rumshock closed the purchase agreement for the property in 2022 and has followed the numerous government guidelines, regulations and laws during all phases of the project while managing unforeseen delays on the construction site.
“Cold Brook flows into the Neversink and Delaware rivers, so there have been delays caused by archaeological digs, questions about the aquifer and – currently – timelines of when trees can be cut down for bat habitat. But the houses are being built, and once we get the foundation slabs laid, we can start moving the houses in as soon as they’re ready. One or two are already finished. Once the students are back in school, more will be built,” Whetsel said. “We have everything set up to demolish the building at the front on September 4th and then we will start building the new main building. At the same time, the land is being cleared and the slabs laid for the mini-houses.”
BOCES carpentry teacher Corey Moore and some of his students expressed their pride in being part of the experience. It was Moore who approached Whetsel about offering BOCES services.
Moore pointed out that many practicing veterinarians are homeless and that this project will give some local veterinarians a roof over their heads. “I did a little research and found Rumshock. The next day I called and told the person who answered, ‘I’m from Orange Ulster BOCES and we would love to build your homes.’ Bill Whetsel replied, ‘I’ve been waiting and praying for someone to do this.’ That’s how it started,” Moore said. “My grandparents were both in World War II and this is my way of giving back. You have to give back to the people who serve.”
With full support from the administration and BOCES as a whole, the students admitted that it was difficult to begin setting up a construction area during the cold winter months. Although the barn-like construction area only had portable heaters and limited overhead space, they were all proud to be a part of building homes for veterans while learning a trade after school.
16 of the 40 carpentry students who started the project were seniors who have since graduated. 24 were juniors who will return to continue the project with the new juniors. Their The feelings about participating in this tiny home project for veterans were varied, but also similar.
“My dad was a veteran. I might even help build this for the people he was there with.”
“We often take having a home for granted.”
“I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s better than just being in class.”
“In this way, I can help people in need. I’m not just building for myself, but also for other people.”
“Veterans deserve more than we give them. These homes are filled with veterans who don’t have a home or haven’t had a home for a long time.”
The 400-square-foot homes will be built with a bedroom, two closets, a living room, a kitchenette, a bathroom, a front and back door, and a porch. They will also have a “living” roof that is almost flat but slightly sloped to allow edible plants to grow on it. Water will flow through the plants so they can acquire what they need to grow. This is called hydroponics or aquaculture and will provide veterans with food and a source of funding. It will also be solar-powered and self-sustaining.
The tiny houses, described by the students as “the same as a regular house but one-third the size,” are transported in two 10-by-20-foot sections on a flatbed truck. While speaking with a National Guardsman, Moore mentioned the project and the need to find a means of transportation. As he had offered to Whetsel, National Guardsman Sergeant Rivera also offered the National Guard’s flatbed truck for delivery to Port Jervis.
The project has received further offers of assistance and gifts, including a car, 10 new stoves, and offers of assistance with interior design and construction.
Whetsel is grateful for the help he has received and offered, and plans to spend a lot of time on site making sure everything runs smoothly and successfully for everyone involved.
