An estimated 949 homeless veterans live in the state of Massachusetts, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The New England Center and Home For Veterans in Boston currently serves more than a third of these individuals, offering them food and sleeping quarters.
Peace Foxx, Mark Helberg and Ken Smith founded the nonprofit in 1989 to serve local Vietnam veterans. In the years since, the organization has grown considerably. Now, it offers everything from service member training programs to formalized behavioral health services. NECHV also maintains 59 permanent apartments for veterans transitioning from life on the street into normal living situations. The center includes a women's dormitory as well.
However, the organization will soon offer new accommodations as part of a $31 million renovation, The Boston Globe reported. In May 2015, crews broke ground on the project, which is expected to yield 200 transitional housing units and 38 additional permanent apartments. NECHV headquarters, located at 17 Court Street in the center of downtown Boston, is also undergoing renovations.
The center initiated the overhaul to accommodate the changing demographics of the local veteran population, which now includes more women.
"The veteran population in our city is very diverse, and we need to be able to provide tailored and individualized services to them," Andy McCawley, a Navy veteran and the president of NECHV, told the newspaper. "We have seen an increase, and we want to provide the best and most effective opportunities for our female veterans."
The renovation is expected to be completed by the end of the year. McCawley believes the improvements will allow the center to serve at least 1,500 more former service members.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is a key supporter of the project, as it folds into a city-wide veterans housing initiative he started soon after taking office in 2014.
"Sustainable, independent living requires support at every level. And that's what this center is going to do for more veterans than ever before, every step of the way," Walsh told The Globe.
As NECHV upgrades its capabilities, veteran homelessness in Massachusetts continues to decline, according to WBUR. In 2015, the state was home to 1,133 homeless veterans, 1,001 of whom lived in shelters. Only 32 were classified as unsheltered. This year, the total has fallen below 1,000. In March, the city of Lynn became the first Massachusetts municipality to end veteran homelessness, one local CBS affiliate reported. These numbers will continue to fall as specialized housing programs for former service members mature.
Even after every veteran in the state has found a home, McCawley believes his organization will still be able to offer unique and ultimately essential services to ex military personnel living in New England, WBZ reported.
"The goal of the center is to be a human resource, so the veterans can get connected, stay connected, and be successful," he explained. "So as we reach the … end of veteran homelessness, doesn't mean the need for human services will go away. We want to be a resource for Veterans in the community for essentially generations in the future, and we will have a brand new building in a great location to do that."