ATLANTA — Atlanta-based home improvement store Home Depot has planned to add over 750 housing units in Atlanta to support homeless U.S. military veterans according to a release from their foundation.
It will distribute $10.4 million in grants alongside its nonprofit partners to finance the project, including construction and renovation of supportive housing facilities, critical home repairs and innovative housing solutions for veterans facing homelessness.
Despite a 55% decline in veterans without stable housing, over 33,000 veterans still require help, according to the latest Department of Housing and Urban Development data. The foundation has committed over $100 million since 2011 to reduce homelessness among veterans. The group also aims to invest half a billion dollars in veteran causes by 2025.
The Home Depot Foundation will support low-income, at-risk veterans in rural communities nationwide by funding home repairs and modifications. Nonprofit organizations working at the local level can apply for funding to construct or renovate supportive housing units in their communities.
These funding programs will support initiatives such as the Built for Zero initiative by Community Solutions, aimed at housing 1,000 veterans across multiple cities. The pilot program started by U.S.VETS will expand housing opportunities for at-risk and formerly homeless veterans, and a flexible funding program by Volunteers of America to help veterans facing financial barriers access adequate housing.
“The number of veterans facing homelessness was more than 65,000 when we established our first formal financial commitment to veterans in 2011, and we’re proud to see progress today through significant declines in that figure,” Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation, said. “However, there is much more work to be done, and we remain dedicated to working with our nonprofit partners to ensure the heroes who served our nation have a place to lay their heads.”
Through the latest grant from The Home Depot Foundation, Tanisha Smith, vice president of corporate partnerships for Volunteers of America, said they could address the unique needs of veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness on multiple levels, ensuring more veterans find, secure and stay in a place they can call home.
“Each case of a veteran at-risk of or experiencing homelessness is unique, with circumstances frequently beyond the veteran’s control,” said Tanisha Smith, vice president of corporate partnerships for Volunteers of America. “Through the latest grant from The Home Depot Foundation, we can address their individual needs on multiple levels, ensuring more veterans find, secure and stay in a place they can call home.”
