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Colorado nonprofit looks to tiny homes to help homeless vets

Posted at 6:17 PM, Aug 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-26 08:52:03-04

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GOLDEN, Colo. — The group Mattersville runs a program to help homeless vets get a fresh start, with that comes housing. And they want to look at tiny homes as a way to provide a roof and some hope.

"My life turned upside down to the point that I put myself in a worse situation," Army vet Amy Alvira Concepcion said.

It was only a week ago that Concepcion was in dire straits. She had no job and no place to live.

"I didn't really receive any help outside of a blanket and a meal, which is fine, but didn't do anything to help get me out of my situation," Alvira Concepcion said.

She tried calling veterans groups looking for help and called Mattersville, reaching founder Drew Robertson.

"He gives me a callback and says, 'are you ready to go to work?' You can imagine the smile on my face," Alvira Concepcion said.

The organization helped place her into a job working for a local security company.

"It's been spectacular. My boss is also a veteran," Alvira Concepcion said.

Robertson wants to help veterans like Alvira Concepcion get back on their feet, that includes housing. But they're looking to do that a little differently. He wants to put them in tiny homes.

"We want to be able to focus on affordable housing when we're taking people from out of homelessness and out of joblessness," Robertson said.

They're looking to put them on a property near Colorado Springs and one in Sedalia.

"We're only looking for Douglas County to grant us five permits for that property and the program," Robertson said.

Robertson says they're willing to meet any county requirements to get the permits and hope to get vets moved in soon.

"We're hoping if we get in this month or next month we can start getting people in the property," Robertson said.

Robertson says he's confident that once the permits are approved, the properties will move very quickly.