More than 750 supportive housing units for veterans facing homelessness will be added through $10.4 million in grants from The Home Depot Foundation to its nonprofit partners.
The grants will support the construction and renovation of supportive housing facilities, critical home repairs to keep at-risk veterans in their homes, and innovative housing solutions that will help more veterans exit or avoid homelessness and access affordable housing, according to The Home Depot.
“The number of veterans facing homelessness was more than 65,000 when we established our first formal financial commitment to veterans in 2011, and we’re proud to see progress today through significant declines in that figure,” said Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation.
“However, there is much more work to be done, and we remain dedicated to working with our nonprofit partners to ensure the heroes who served our nation have a place to lay their heads.”
Data recently released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development shows veteran homelessness has declined 55% since 2010. However, more than 33,000 U.S. military veterans still lack access to stable, secure housing across the nation.
Through the grants, U.S.VETS will launch a pilot program in Los Angeles and Hawaii aimed at expanding housing opportunities for at-risk and formerly homeless veterans, with a goal of housing 100 veterans over the next two years.
Volunteers of America will provide flexible funding to support veterans facing financial barriers that might be a hurdle keeping them from accessing adequate housing, such as paying a security deposit or providing first and last month’s rent upfront.
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“Each case of a veteran at-risk of or experiencing homelessness is unique, with circumstances frequently beyond the veteran’s control,” said Tanisha Smith, vice president of corporate partnerships for Volunteers of America.
Community Solutions is expected to help communities house 1,000 veterans across cities including Washington, D.C., Detroit, Jacksonville, Charlotte and Minneapolis through its Built for Zero initiative, a movement to measurably and equitably end homelessness.
A grant to the Housing Assistance Council will help low-income, at-risk veterans living in rural communities nationwide stay in their homes through home repairs and modifications.
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Through the Foundation’s Veteran Housing Grant program, local nonprofits can apply for funding to construct or renovate supportive housing units in their communities. More than $5 million in funding will go to multiple cities across the nation, including Greater Los Angeles, Cincinnati and Charlotte.
Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has invested more than $475 million in veteran causes and improved more than 55,000 veteran housing facilities, part of its larger commitment to invest half of a billion dollars in veteran causes by 2025.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.