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Formerly homeless DC Veterans about to lose housing… District Homeless Veteran Program needs emergency assistance

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fifty-one formerly homeless veterans who live at Ignatia House on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) in Northwest Washington must find new homes by the end of next month to make way for a $2 billion redevelopment effort on the grounds of the current housing site.

The men and women of Ignatia House, some of whom have been living at the House for years while seeking

employment and permanent housing, receive important health care services from the VA Medical Center which is located across the street.

"Ignatia House helps make the lives of many veterans better," said Stephanie Buckley, Regional Director of the United States Veterans Initiative, the national organization that developed the supportive housing program.

"Our house is a community of individuals making progress one day at a time. We hope there is a way to keep this important program going. After all, there is such a need in the Washington area for the services we provide."

Although the AFRH redevelopment plan includes space for a 100-bed facility for homeless veterans, it is unlikely that the facility can be planned, constructed and opened for many years, and would serve only a fraction of the estimated 2,500 homeless veterans in the nation's capital.

U.S. VETS, a collaboration of the nonprofit United States Veterans Initiative and Cloudbreak Development, a special needs housing developer, has been providing housing and social and employment services for homeless veterans at Ignatia House for the past four and a half years.

U.S. VETS was informed by the AFRH on December 19 that its lease would only be extended 30 days and the veterans must vacate the premises by next month.

Since then, U.S. VETS has been diligently working to secure a new location for the program. Unfortunately, due to a fire last Friday at what appeared to be a potential site, the search has taken on new urgency.

“This is going to be a time of stress for veterans living at Ignatia House," said Dwight Radcliff, Executive Director of United States Veterans Initiative.

"Ignatia house is their home. We are encouraging them to face this time as an opportunity to manage the uncertainties of life with hope and courage. "

"It is critical that we find another site, and we are asking for help in that endeavor", said Tim Cantwell, Manager of Cloudbreak Development.

"While always viewed as only the initial step to a large-scale permanent facility sufficient to address the needs of the District's homeless veterans (400-500 beds), the limited capacity of Ignatia House has been a fabulous setting for providing service enriched housing to the 51 veterans seeking to restore their lives.

"We are talking to all stakeholders, civic leaders, developers, property owners, anybody who can help us find a site where, at a minimum, U.S. VETS can relocate the current small program."

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (http://www.nchv.org) represents more than 280 organizations that provide housing and supportive services to homeless veterans nationwide. NCHV's mission is to end homelessness among veterans by shaping public policy, promoting collaboration, and building the capacity of service providers.