Nov 15 2010
The Veterans Administration is announcing the Family and Community Services, Inc. of Northeast Ohio has received final approval to build Valor Home, a 30-bed, single room occupancy, transitional housing facility for veterans on East Waterloo Road across from the Summit County Veterans' Service Commission.
The announcement comes as the VA has awarded a total of $41.9 million to build and maintain veteran’s housing facilities under the VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program nationwide.
The City of Akron has helped make this possible through their generous donation of the land for the Valor Home.
According to Mark Frisone, executive director of Family and Community Services, “The grant from the VA is for $906,338, which will cover 65 percent of the construction costs and the cost to purchase a van to transport vets to and from the facility. The remaining 35 percent of the construction costs – the match part of the grant – will have to be raised locally.”
Matt Slater of Family and Community Services, and the program manager for Valor Home, said: “This award from the VA is the culmination of a two-year application and approval process.
The project to build Valor Home really began in December 2008 with the formation of the Valor Home Committee, a group of Summit County volunteers who approached Family and Community Services about the possibility of a venture to help the veterans of Summit County.”
In addition to the capital grant to cover 65 percent of construction costs, the VA awarded Per Diem to cover the ongoing operational cost of Valor Home.
“Currently the Per Diem rate is $38.90 per month per resident,” says Slater. “Also, we look forward to working with the citizens of Summit County to raise the construction grant match – approximately $475,000 - so that Valor Home becomes a reality. We would like to open the doors to our potential residents in the summer of 2012,” he said.
The VA’s strategy to eliminate homelessness among veterans includes about 14,000 transitional housing beds for veterans nationwide. This latest grant will increase the number of available beds by about 2,500. In addition, the VA stipulates that each Grant and Per Diem facility must provide a broad spectrum of support services for their residents.
“Family and Community Services has a great track record for providing housing and related services to veterans,” stated Slater. “Valor Home will provide on site case management, access to comprehensive health care services and many other programs designed to assist veterans with a life-long plan for self-sufficiency.
Valor Home will be a great addition to Northeast Ohio’s community appreciation and assistance to our veterans,” he said.
Source: http://www.portagefamilies.org