Houston, TX – October 9, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — The Mayor’s Office of Veteran Affairs today hailed the awarding of $2.1 million in grants from the Veteran’s Administration to two local agencies to help house homeless veterans in Houston.
Working with the Office of Veterans Affairs, Forest Lawn Missionary Baptist Church was able to secure a grant for more than $169,000 to provide 25 beds, and Spiller Personal Care Home, Inc. is being awarded $1.9 million to provide 184 new beds.
The grants were part of $17 million awarded nationwide to provide 1,155 beds. The awards were announced this week by U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki, who said, “Our partnerships with community-based organizations provide safe, transitional housing while these veterans leverage VA’s health care and other benefits to return to productive lives.”
“We are very glad to see Houston veterans will get more of the help they need through these community partners, and Mayor White is proud we were able to be teammates in the grant request process. It is uplifting to see more Houston agencies step up to assist our veterans,” said Buddy Grantham, head of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs.
Existing facilities partnered with the Veterans Administration can serve 872 homeless veterans in Houston, Grantham noted, so the new beds would mark a significant increase.
The Spiller Personal Care Homes, Inc. grant will be used to construct a 45,000-square-foot facility with 195 beds on the near west side of the city. The six story structure will consist of 30 six-bed, three-room suites for adults and five three-bed, two-room suites suited for small families. It includes a 102 dining seats and a commercial kitchen.. Case management and other support services will be provided to the veterans.
Forest Lawn Baptist Church’s grant will help to renovate the existing Haven of Hope facility, which will be serving homeless female veterans and, in some cases, their children. The facility can serve up to 60 residents.
To see the Department of Veterans Affairs grant announcement release go to www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/secretary-shinseki-announces-17-million-in-homeless-grants-63624612.html.
To learn more about the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs and the many ways the Houston community is recognizing and assisting veterans go to www.houstontx.gov/vetaffairs/index.html.
