Homelessness in the veteran community has been an issue troubling this country for decades. While there’s been some reported success in many communities to reduce the number of veterans on the street, the problem is still prevalent.
“There are an estimated 55,000 homeless women vets in America – the fastest growing population of the homeless,” said Jaspen (Jas) Boothe, founder of Final Salute, a nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing and support services to homeless women veterans and their children, in a release. “Yet all too often, supportive housing programs for veterans aren’t tailored to the needs of women veterans, and in particular, single-mother veterans raising children.”
Since its founding in 2010, Final Salute has served more than 2,000 women across 30 U.S. states and territories.
At its location in Fairfax County, Va., work is currently underway to renovate a home that will soon provide housing for up to 10 female veterans who are struggling with homelessness or military transition and their minor children.
Final Salute has teamed up with HomeAid Northern Virginia (HANV) on the project, which includes increasing the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. The 8,700 sq. ft. home previously had seven bedrooms and five bathrooms, but when the renovation is complete it will feature eight of each.
Bethesda, Md.-based Winchester Homes, a Tri Pointe Group company, is serving as builder captain for the projects and has been busy. Some of its work includes kitchen and bathroom upgrades, new fixtures, and expanded storage. A previously under-utilized area of the basement will be converted into living space – with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen – for a live-in resident manager to provide ongoing services to house residents.
Since its creation in 2001, HANV has completed 107 projects valued at a total of more than $13.6 million and served more than 95,000 homeless individuals.
The estimated renovation cost for this project is $330,000. More than half of the project will be funded by HANV, Winchester Homes, and trade partners participating in the project.
“It’s inspiring to be involved with Final Salute and HomeAid on a project to give a safe sanctuary to women veterans and their families right here in our region,” said John Monacci, executive vice president of Winchester Homes, in a release. “Partnering on this project is a great way for us, and the trade partners who are collaborating with us, to serve those who have served our country.”
Boothe deployed during the Operation Iraq Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom campaigns and faced homelessness herself when she lost her home to Hurricane Katrina. She knows firsthand about the need for housing in veteran community, especially for women.
“More than 60% of programs that take in veterans don’t take in women, or don’t take in women with children, or have age limits on the children or have limits on how many kids you can take. That is not the case with Final Salute,” Boothe said in a release. “Women have served in every major conflict since the Revolutionary War; it’s time they received the resources and support they have earned through their service and sacrifice.”
On Wednesday, HANV announced that the project received an $84,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation. HANV had been seeking additional grants to cover the remaining renovation costs, and its executive director, Christy Zeitz, was happy The Home Depot stepped forward.
“It is reassuring that prominent organizations like The Home Depot recognize the unique plight of female veterans who struggle with homelessness or housing insecurity and are willing to allocate funds to help the cause,” Zeitz said in a release.
The renovation is scheduled to finish later this year at which time a ribbon-cutting ceremony will officially open the home that is so sorely needed.
