The Home Depot Foundation today announced its investment of an additional $6.4 million to combat veteran homelessness and support veteran housing initiatives. Since 2011, the Foundation has contributed more than $100 million to organizations supporting veterans facing homelessness as part of a larger commitment to invest $500 million in veteran causes by 2025.
In total, the recent grants will impact nearly 4,000 veterans at risk of homelessness and provide more than 600 units of housing across the United States.
"Supporting veteran causes is core to our mission at The Home Depot Foundation,” said Shannon Gerber, executive director, The Home Depot Foundation. “The latest statistics from the Department of Housing and Urban Development tell us that, on any given night, approximately 37,000 veterans are experiencing homelessness. This is unacceptable for anyone, especially for those who have dedicated years of their lives to serving this country. We’re focused on supporting and working with partners nationwide to bring an end to veteran homelessness.”
National nonprofit partners including Community Solutions, U.S.VETS, Volunteers of America and the Housing Assistance Council will receive funding to provide transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and other supportive services for veterans and their families who may be experiencing homelessness. Additional funds will be distributed to local organizations to address the needs of veterans facing housing insecurity in communities across the nation, including Baltimore, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and many more.
The Foundation will continue its work with Community Solutions and their initiative Built for Zero, a national movement of more than 80 communities working to measurably end homelessness. To date, 14 communities have achieved this goal by reaching a milestone known as functional zero, and more than 135,000 individuals have been housed by Built for Zero communities since 2015.
“Since 2012, we've been proud to partner with The Home Depot Foundation to advance our shared vision for ending homelessness,” said Jessica Venegas, principal for strategic partnerships, Community Solutions. “The funds granted from The Home Depot Foundation will help the eight communities in our Large City Cohort drive reductions in veteran homelessness this year, which will also include helping 3,000 veterans move into housing.”
U.S.VETS, the nation’s largest nonprofit veteran services provider, will receive $600,000 from the Foundation in 2021 to support the construction of a new transitional housing facility in Riverside, California, and to rehabilitate a motel in Phoenix, which will provide housing and access to critical services for more than 200 homeless and at-risk veterans.
“Our goal, beyond ending veteran homelessness for good, is to support military veterans and their families as they successfully move from emergency housing to more independent living in transitional and permanent housing communities,” said Steve Peck, president and CEO, U.S.VETS. “Working with The Home Depot Foundation and their volunteer force, Team Depot, we’ve been able to provide more veterans with stability and a place to call home.”
In 2020, veteran homelessness increased for the first time in several years, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this vulnerable population has yet to be fully measured. By working with nonprofit organizations across the nation, The Home Depot Foundation aims to reverse this troubling trend and ensure our nation’s heroes have access to secure and reliable housing.
To date, the Foundation has invested more than $375 million in veteran causes, including making critical home repairs for combat wounded veterans, providing financial assistance and helping senior veterans age independently in their own homes.
