The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is expanding one of its programs to help more people who have served their country.
The Veterans Transitional Housing Program currently offers 20 private beds in the Ozanam Inn Men’s Emergency Shelter. By the end of the year, 24 single-room units will be added to that number.
According to a press release from SVDP, renovations are underway at Waypoint House, a building on St. Vincent de Paul’s campus, where the new rooms will be located. The units — which will come fully furnished — will be available for individuals to rent.
“Having these permanent housing units on our campus is a wonderful compliment to the transitional housing program we have at Ozanam Inn,” said Sam Schreier, Ozanam Inn’s Senior Program Manager. “We have a good amount of participants who become acclimated to the community and available resources on campus.”
Veterans are twice as likely to become homeless compared to non-veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. There are more than 300 homeless veterans in Kentucky.
St. Vincent de Paul is taking applications for the units and will accept housing vouchers and other rental assistance, as well as low-income veterans who can pay their own rent.
In addition to the single-occupancy rooms, the updated facilities will include two self-service kitchens, on-site laundry and common spaces for socialization and recreation.
Veterans who rent the units will have access to the same resources as those who utilize the beds in Ozanam Inn — resources from the Veteran’s Administration, lunch and dinner seven days a week at the Open Hand Kitchen and groceries from the agency’s food pantry.
St. Vincent de Paul is hosting an open house of the renovated facility on Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. in the SVDP Family Success Center Gym, 1029 S. Preston St. For more information, contact Tony Nochim at tnochim@svdplou.org or visit https://www.svdplou.org/support-homeless-veterans/.
