Homeless Veterans In South Carolina Getting Their Own Tiny Houses

Some homeless veterans in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, will soon be getting roofs over their heads thanks to a new initiative. WPDE-TV reports that the Veterans Welcome Home & Resource Center is building a community of 25 tiny houses to help alleviate veteran homelessness in the Myrtle Beach area.

Each 144 square foot tiny house will include a full bathroom, a futon bed, and a mini fridge. It's hard to fathom that people who served their country wouldn't even have those basics, but that's the reality in America. We need to do better by our veterans and military families.

Randy Dorenbos, owner of MD Roofing, who is roofing the tiny homes for free, says the project will give veterans a chance at a fresh start. “I think the greatest goal here is to take these folks that are living in their cars or living in the streets with no real reason to wake up in the morning, with no purpose, and putting them into a community," Dorenbos says.

The 25 tiny homes are the beginning of a larger $3-million project. The next phase will add a common building with a kitchen and laundry facilities, as well as eight additional duplex homes. Project leaders expect the tiny homes to be completed by November and hope to have them occupied before winter. Veterans Day is November 11th.

What's encouraging about this project is not only the shelter being provided for the veterans, but also the establishment of a new community. Hopefully, this will lead to healthier and better futures for the residents.

This is a startling statistic. If you work a minimum wage job in South Carolina you'd have to work 106 per week to afford the average rent. That number comes from the National Low Income Housing Coalition's 2022 Out of Reach report. The purpose is to bring awareness to the issue that rent is "out of reach" to many low-income workers across the country.

According to the organization's website:

To put it into perspective nationally the Housing Wage is $25.82. That is for a modest two-bedroom rental home. A one-bedroom you would need $21.25 to afford. These statistics are based off of the idea that an individual should spend no more than 1/3 of their income on rent.

The numbers for South Carolina are shocking. It's a well-known fact that it's hard to make ends meet on minimum wage. However, the idea that you'd have to work more than 2 full-time jobs that paid minimum wage to afford rent is unacceptable. Let's take a look at some of the other statistics below and a breakdown of each of South Carolina's metropolitan areas.

All data comes from the National Low Income Housing Coalition's 2022 Out of Reach Report which can be read here.

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $16.02

2 Bedroom FMR: $833

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $33,320

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.2

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $17.42

2 Bedroom FMR: $902

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $36,240

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.4

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $24.10

2 Bedroom FMR: $1,253

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $50,120

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 3.3

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $26.38

2 Bedroom FMR: $1,372

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $54,880

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 3.6

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $13.69

2 Bedroom FMR: $712

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $28,480

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 1.9

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $13.69

2 Bedroom FMR: $712

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $28,480

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 1.9

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $19.04

2 Bedroom FMR: $990

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $39,600

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.6

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $13.87

2 Bedroom FMR: $721

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $28,840

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 1.9

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $16.00

2 Bedroom FMR: $832

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $33,280

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.2

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $19.08

2 Bedroom FMR: $992

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $39,680

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.6

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $17.87

2 Bedroom FMR: $929

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $37,160

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.5

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $14.62

2 Bedroom FMR: $760

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $30,400

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.0

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $16.23

2 Bedroom FMR: $884

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $33,760

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.2

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $15.06

2 Bedroom FMR: $783

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $31,320

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.1

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $20.42

2 Bedroom FMR: $1,602

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $42,480

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.8

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $16.62

2 Bedroom FMR: $864

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $32,560

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.3

Hourly Wage To Afford 2 Bedroom Fair Market Rent (FMR): $16.37

2 Bedroom FMR: $851

Annual Income Needed To Afford FMR: $34,040

Full Time Jobs At Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR: 2.3