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The Jericho Project Purchases Second Site for Homeless Veterans in the Bronx

Combating the 1-in-4 Disgrace of Homeless Vets

The Jericho Project, a national leader in forging permanent solutions to homelessness, today
announced a new milestone for its Veterans Initiative, closing on the purchase of a site to build its second Veterans Residence in the Bronx. Together the two sites will deliver Jericho’s trademark combination of
permanent supportive housing and comprehensive counseling to 130 homeless and low-income veterans.

Jericho’s Veterans Initiative is the latest in a series of innovations introduced at its recent 25th Anniversary Gala, Where Hope Finds a Home, which honored Senator Bob Dole for his work on behalf of veterans, as well
as other nonprofit and individual leaders addressing the root causes of homelessness, especially among veterans.

The event raised over $525,000 for Jericho, including $300,000 specifically earmarked for the Veterans Initiative.

“We intend for our Veterans Initiative to be scalable - and become a model for helping low-income and homeless veterans nationwide regain their dignity and rightful place in society,” said Jericho Executive Director Tori Lyon.

For many troops, war-induced trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are leading to a cascade of financial dislocation, family estrangement and homelessness. Extended tours and intensive violence abroad accelerate these
effects and threaten to deepen the national disgrace that one-in-four homeless individuals is a veteran.

“With its effective combination of permanent housing and supportive services, Jericho Project is at the forefront in helping homeless veterans regain control of their lives and once again enjoy the freedoms they helped preserve,” said Cheryl Beversdorf, President and CEO, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, and one of the Gala honorees.

NCHV is a national nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness among America’s veterans by shaping public policy, promoting collaboration, and increasing the capacity of service providers.

Unlike the temporary nature of a shelter, Jericho’s Veterans Residences will offer the permanent supportive housing and comprehensive counseling services that have resulted in Jericho’s track record of success. More than 20 percent of Jericho’s current 253 residents “graduate” each year to independent and productive lives, and the average stay is 2 1/2 to 3 years. Ninety-six percent of these graduates maintain permanent housing; two-thirds are employed, with the remainder having government subsidies. Only five percent experience relapse.

Although veterans are disproportionately represented among homeless adults in the New York City shelter system, there are only two supportive housing projects for veterans currently in operation in New York City. According to the The Homelessness Research Institute, the research and education arm of the National Alliance to End homelessness, veterans comprise 26 percent of the homeless population, despite the fact that they
represent only 11 percent of the civilian adult population, and as a group typically have a lower poverty rate than the general population.

“With tens of thousands of veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the next several years, the number of vets in need of housing can only be expected to rise,” Lyon said.

The Jericho Veterans Residences will be located at 355 East 194th Street in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx, and at Kingsbridge Terrace in the Bronx. At both residences, 60 percent of potential residents will be
veterans referred from the New York City homeless shelter system and 40 percent will be low-income veterans from the community.

The Jericho Project purchased the vacant lots with financing from the New York City Acquisition Loan Fund, and will receive development funding from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development as part of the New York-New York III program. Jericho will also apply for Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Operating and services dollars for ongoing funding have been committed from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as part of the New York-New York III program.

Jericho expects to begin construction on the first residence in 2008 and open the doors in early 2010. An architectural rendering has been completed by HOK architects. The second residence is slated to open in
2011. For more information please visit http://www.jerichoproject.org or contact Lynthia Romney at (914) 238-2145.

SOURCE: PRNewsWire.com

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