This Air Force Hero Builds Tiny Homes for Homeless Veterans Out of Shipping Containers—Restoring Hope for Those in Need

Former Air Force Chief Doug Kordt has always gone out of his way to help homeless veterans, visiting their camps with food and clothing. And now he’s found a unique way to do even more: He’s converted shipping containers into tiny homes and offers them to struggling vets—rent-free!

Doug Kordt was surprised when his partner at his shipping container business, Dave Theis, told him, “You know, some people have started adding doors and windows to the containers and turning them into small apartments. What do you think of trying that?”

“I don’t think so,” Doug dismissed the idea out of hand.

Dave hesitated, then said, “Well, I’ve already done one. It will arrive next week.”

Doug set up the renovated container alongside a ramshackle old house that sat at one end of their Stockton, California, Vault Moving and Portable Storage property, hoping someone might see it and decide to buy it.

Unfortunately, the old house was a magnet for squatters, sadly, many of them homeless veterans. For safety reasons, police had to remove them.

But then, a police officer made a suggestion. “You’ve got that nice little container house right there—why don’t you take in one of the vets?” he asked.

An Air Force veteran himself, Doug knew how hard it could be readjusting to

civilian life, and he often visited encampments under bridges and in the woods to deliver food, clothing and encouragement To be able to give a veteran a clean, safe place to live filled Doug with pride.

Heartfelt mission for homeless vets

Doug hooked up plumbing and electric, and a local veterans organization put him in touch with a wounded warrior named Tim. As he showed Tim his new living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, Doug explained, he could live there rent-free while he got on his feet. “My only stipulation is that you come and talk with me for 30 minutes every day,” Doug said.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so safe,” Tim told Doug during one of their chats. “When your life is wrapped up in simple survival, there’s no time to move forward.”

But now, Tim got involved with several veterans’ groups and eventually found permanent housing. As did the next vet that Doug welcomed into the container home, and the one after that. And Doug was inspired to help more vets.

Rebuilding veterans’ lives

Doug and Dave renovated a second container home and began helping two vets at a

time, and eventually he had six container apartments, each costing between $7,000 to $10,000 to convert. He never charges rent, though, or even accepts donations.

So far Doug has housed 22 vets, like 52-year-old Navy vet Kenny McKay.

After multiple layoffs, two failed marriages and homelessness, Kenny was at the end of his rope when he arrived with a basket of clothes, pillow, blanket and his pet ferret, Rascal. “Sometimes I think Rascal’s the only thing keeping me alive,” he confided.

During their talks, Doug never tells vets what they should be doing or how to feel, he just listens and offers encouragement. Kenny began opening up, and soon their talks were lasting for hours. When he thought Kenny was ready, Doug offered him little jobs on the property.

“This is the first 50 bucks I’ve actually earned in I don’t know how long,” Kenny thanked Doug. And used the cash to buy himself kitchen supplies.

Kenny proved to be such a hard worker, Dave hired him to work at his other

business, a marina/resort, and put an RV on the grounds for him to live in.

“They saved me, and I can’t wait to start passing it forward,” says a grateful Kenny.

Soon, Doug will move the business to a 15-acre site, where he plans to house up to 10 vets at a time. He’s also partnering with Trusted Sons, an organization offering employment and job training to veterans.

“They’ll help with the carpentry and plumbing on the new units, and we’ll put plaques on the outside with their names and contributions,” says Doug. “If you’re a veteran, you take care of your own, and the best way to do that isn’t with a handout, but rather a helping hand up.”