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VIRGINIA BEACH GROUP GIVEN LEASE TO SHELTER MORE

VETERANS -- For 15 years, Vetshouse Inc. has been bringing

stability back into the lives of homeless veterans, providing

them with food, clothing and housing.

 

 

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Beach group given lease to shelter more veterans

By SUSAN E. WHITE, The Virginian-Pilot

VIRGINIA BEACH -- For 15 years, Vetshouse Inc. has been bringing stability back into the lives of homeless veterans, providing them with food, clothing and housing.

With the city's help, the nonprofit group soon will have a few more beds to offer those in need. Beach council members recently agreed to lease a five-bedroom, two-bath home to the group.

Vetshouse shelters 16 veterans in two duplexes near Oceana Naval Air Station. The city-owned home off North Oceana Boulevard is next to one of the group's duplexes and will house four adult men, said Willard Smith, executive director of Vetshouse.

The city purchased the house in May for $345,000 as part of a program to limit

development around Oceana. Based on its current zoning, the single-family home could have been torn down or renovated and turned into a duplex.

The city will instead lease the home to Vetshouse for $1 a year, preserving the property's current density and helping the nonprofit group address a growing demand for shelter. The program has served more than 400 homeless veterans since 1992.

"I probably turn away eight or nine men a week," Smith said. "And it's only going to increase when these other kids start coming home from Iraq."

Nearly 455 people were identified as homeless in Virginia Beach this year; about 14 percent were veterans. Nationwide, about 195,000 veterans - most of them men - are homeless on any given night, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Roughly one-half suffer from mental illness, and more than 70 percent have alcohol and drug problems.

Smith, who served nearly 23 years in the Navy, including five years in Vietnam, is passionate about helping his fellow veterans. But he also runs a tight ship. Residents must follow strict rules - no drugs and alcohol, a midnight curfew, room inspections and random drug testing.

Tenants also must be employed or participate in community service and pay between $275 and $375 a month in rent.

"We are a self-help program," said Smith, 71, a recovering alcoholic. "But if you want my help, you must show that you are worthy and start helping yourself first."

Last week, some current residents of Vetshouse began cleaning up the new home, which still needs much work before tenants can move in. Pale dusty walls need repainting, dull hardwood floors need carpeting and electrical wiring needs replacing.

Smith hopes to convert the unfinished basement into a recreation room, complete with exercise equipment and, perhaps, a pool table. The nonprofit has an annual operating budget of about $73,000 and relies on volunteers and donations. Smith hopes a few contractors will help with the renovation work.

Four current veterans will move into the house, freeing up space for new tenants in the other homes. Dan Cantwell will be among those moving into the five-bedroom house.

Cantwell, 45, served 17 years in the Navy, but after struggling with his weight, was honorably discharged from the military in 2004. Temporarily homeless, he came to Vetshouse about a year ago and has been trying to get back on his feet.

He works as a driver for two employers but still struggles financially. He is grateful for the new home but hopes to afford a place of his own one day.

"I see condos being built for $300,000 and $400,000 and I wonder, 'What can I get into?' " Cantwell said. "That's what's so difficult. Every day, I see people with no place to go and it's frustrating, truly frustrating."

Susan E. White, (757) 222-5114, susan.white@pilotonline.com

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Larry Scott  --