Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) recently donated 25 tiny homes to homeless veterans in Los Angeles.
Schwarzenegger donated $250,000 to the nonprofit Village for Vets, which went toward purchasing 25 tiny homes for retired service members who had previously been homeless, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles.
“Today, I celebrated Christmas early. The 25 homes I donated for homeless veterans were installed here in LA. It was fantastic to spend some time with our heroes and welcome them into their new homes,” Schwarzenegger wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
He thanked Village for Vets, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, veterans advocacy organization AMVETS and others who contributed to the effort in a separate tweet, adding, “We proved that when we all work together, we can solve any problem.”
Village for Vets wrote on Twitter that Schwarzenegger’s donation “made it possible for us to purchase and build the remaining 25 shelters” at the Veterans Affairs campus.
Schwarzenegger told Fox 11 Los Angeles that he was “really ecstatic” and “so excited” about donating the tiny homes.
“It makes me feel good I can give something back to this country that has given everything to me,” he added.
The tiny homes are equipped with a bed and space to store belongings.
Rob Reynolds of AMVETS said the tiny houses will help “bring a little bit of pride back” for the veterans.
“They have electricity, they have heating and air conditioning,” he told Fox 11 Los Angeles.
Schwarzenegger, who served as governor of California from 2003 until 2011, made headlines in August when he spoke out against Americans who refuse to wear masks amid the pandemic because they say the face coverings encroach on their rights.
“Screw your freedom,” the former actor said in a YouTube video.
“Because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities,” he said, adding “We cannot just say, ‘I have the right to do X, Y and Z.’ When you affect other people, that is when it gets serious.”