Following success in Hoboken, plans are in the works for housing at rebuilt posts in five other locations.
The success of the Department of New Jersey’s housing program for homeless and at-risk veterans at Post 107 in Hoboken is spurring similar projects around the state.
The next project will take place at Post 3 in Westfield, with plans in the works for Post 251 in Montclair, Post 62 in South Amboy, and Post 269 in Emerson.
“Our goal is to have at least one of these facilities in all 21 of our counties,” said Allan Betau, Post 3’s second vice commander and the project manager at Westfield.
Each location is a long-term project, requiring demolition and rebuilding of existing posts to meet both housing needs and the post’s place in the community, with funding coming through government grants and philanthropic donations. For example, the Westfield project, which would house 22 veterans, has commitments from state and national governments for $8 millions in grants, Betau said, but the grant money isn’t available until the housing authority provides vouchers for the homeless and at-risk veterans who would live in the new facility.
“We are optimistic that Westfield will get those vouchers soon,” said Jim Scanlon, chairman of the department’s Committee for Housing Homeless, At-Risk and Aging Veterans. “We have commitments from all the right people at the highest levels.”
Those commitments include Monarch Housing, which builds the housing; Soldier On, which provides supportive services for homeless and at-risk veterans; and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The reconstruction project at Post 3 is expected to begin in November, Betau said. But there’s a long-term commitment from the department to complete these projects to meet the needs of homeless and at-risk veterans.
“That’s what we’re supposed to do; we’re The American Legion,” Betau said of the post rebuilds. “There’s two very important points I’ve brought up in all our meetings with the towns, with the grant writers, and people of that sort. The American Legion recognized many years ago that we have a problem with suicide, which is why the Be the One program has been put into effect. One of the major issues with veteran suicide that they found is homelessness. So in actuality, what we are doing is not only addressing homelessness but also bringing in with the Be the One campaign in that we’re knocking on the door of one of the major causes of suicide. And I think that’s a point that really needs to be emphasized.
“The other thing that I bring up is, I know that we celebrate two separate entities as far as veterans. Memorial Day, those who gave their lives. Veterans Day, where we celebrate those who served. But the third faction of veterans are those that went in and served and came out and are incapable of joining civilization … for various reasons, whether they be physical or mental. … We really do need to work on bringing them back into the life they dreamed of when they joined the service,” Betau added.
- Homeless Veterans