OU BOCES CTE students constructing 10 tiny homes for veterans

Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education students in the Carpentry Program construct one of 10 tiny homes that will become part of the Rumshock Veterans Village Project in Port Jervis.

May 14 2024 8:25 AM

Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education students in the Carpentry Program have started construction of 10 tiny homes that will become part of the Rumshock Veterans Village Project in Port Jervis.

Veterans who participate in the program will be able to live in these units for a reduced cost, which will help address housing instability and reduce financial stress. The project’s goal is to provide veterans with a range of valuable skills and experiences that will help them reintegrate into civilian life and pursue meaningful careers.

The 400-square-foot homes will be framed with windows and doors and rough plumbing installed by the end of the school year. Starting in September, BOCES students will complete as much work as possible before shipping them. Electrical will be installed and insulation, sheetrock, trim, cabinets, toilet, and sinks will all be done at BOCES.

“Building houses is different from our usual projects,” said OU BOCES carpentry instructor Corey Moore. ”It has meaning behind it.”

U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, a combat Army veteran, secured $1 million in federal funding for the project. He presented the check at a ceremony at VFW 151 in Port Jervis.

“The Rumshock Veterans Foundation is grateful for Rep. Pat Ryan’s continued support and dedication to helping the veterans community of Orange County, New York,” said Bill Whetsel, President and Founder of the Rumshock Veterans Foundation. “We are excited to continue our mission of helping every single veteran that is in need and creating a community to support the heroes that served and continue to serve our nation. This is a small step in the process of completing our mission, but we are confident that we will continue to do right by the people who helped protect the freedom of the United States of America.”

Former state Sen. Jen Metzger secured a $400,000 state award for Rumshock Veterans Foundation to acquire the land for the project in October of 2020. Metzger made the announcement at the Greenwood Lake Elks Lodge 2067, and was joined by U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Assemblyman Karl Brabenec, members of Legion Arthur Finnegan Post 1443 and the Warwick Valley VFW Post 4662, as well as County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus, Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton Greenwood Lake Mayor Jesse Dwyer.

“The best way to honor the service of our veterans, who sacrifice so much for us, is to make sure they have the resources they need to lead healthy and prosperous lives,” Metzger said. “This innovative initiative of the Rumshock Veterans Foundation not only meets a critical housing need for veterans facing homelessness, but also creates the kind of supportive community that will help our veterans thrive.”

Plans for Rumshock veteran housing on East Main Street in Port Jervis were designed by Axis Architecture, PC, in Monroeville, Pa. The veterans village will also include a workshop, hydroponic grow room, garage, community house and veterans memorial.

The Rumshock Veterans Foundation, based in Highland Mills, has a unique six-part program to address the issues facing veterans through the Hudson Valley: