A program dedicated to providing housing for homeless veterans is now searching for shelter of its own after a city council denied the program a moving permit, The Daily Press reported.
Formerly housed on property owned by the Hampton VA. , the Salvation Army of the Virginia Peninsula's Veterans Transitional Housing Program was forced to relocate after the VA building was demolished due to inhabitable conditions. According to the news source, program officials were looking to settle in an extended-stay hotel. However, a law passed by the city forbids hotel stays that are longer than 30 days, and the Salvation Army program tends to house veterans for up to six months, according to its website.
Transitional housing is used as an "in-between" residence for veterans who are struggling to secure permanent housing or employment, states the organization's website. Transitional housing centers are located in nearly every state and are federally funded.
The Salvation Army Transitional Housing Program was Virginia's largest such resource for former servicemembers. Now that the program remains in suspension, many are worried what will happen to the former servicemembers who are currently without permanent shelter.
"If the Salvation Army can't become operational in the very near future, the program will cease to exist," program director David Wall told new news outlet.