Bedford VA Takes Innovative Step to End Veteran Homelessness

Forty years after the last helicopter left Saigon and marked the official end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, there are still many Vietnam Veterans who don’t have a place to call home.

The Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital (Bedford VA) has worked tirelessly to change that. Six years after President Obama declared that the U.S. would end Veteran homelessness, Bedford VA is poised to take its next bold step toward achieving VA’s mission of ending Veteran homelessness.

On June 29 at 1 p.m., Bedford VA officials and its partners will lay the cornerstone for Bedford Green, a permanent supportive housing community of 70 units that will be home to Veterans ages 55 and up. The furnished, state of the art units will include dishware, utensils and bedding. This project has been four years in the making thus far after the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs selected the Bedford VA campus for the site on Veterans Day in 2011.

When Bedford Green opens its doors in the spring of 2016, the Veterans will have a community room, a group room and a shuttle service that will transport them to and from Bedford where they can run errands, go to the store or the post office. They will have access to extensive VA medical, clinical and support services right on campus.

The new supportive housing community is currently under construction on the beautiful Bedford VA campus overlooking the Patriot Golf Course. It will be staffed by two VA case managers and a residential manager from Peabody Properties, the project developer.

One of the reasons Bedford Green is so welcome is because chronically homeless Veterans are known to be more successful living near or with other Veterans. Having permanent housing in a Veteran community with access to all Bedford VA services provides support to stay off the streets and to find meaningful relationships and community involvement.

Veterans who are 55 and older are likely to be Vietnam era Veterans with all the pain and disillusionment we now know that generation of soldiers faced returning home. Veterans who live at Bedford Green will be able to walk across the street to receive specialized care and support groups for Vietnam era Veterans, PTSD treatment, substance abuse treatment, wellness offerings and primary care tailored to the known health care needs of this generation.

Bedford Green reflects the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs focus to form strategic partnerships with community and non-profit groups to best serve Veterans. It is being realized by a true public private partnership that utilizes federal and state resources though the unparalleled cooperation of all its partners including project developer, Peabody Properties, Windover Construction, LLC and the Affordable Housing and Services Collaborative, Inc. The community will be LEED for Gold and energy star certified and will incorporate Green Building components. New Ecology, Inc., is the project’s LEED consultant.

Bedford Green is a manifestation of Bedford VA’s passion to end Veteran homelessness and is a welcome addition to a strong continuum of services to help homeless Veterans achieve permanent housing. Leadership at Bedford VA is passionate about serving Veterans better than they have ever been served. This new housing community reflects Bedford VA’s respect and reverence for our nation’s heroes and their eagerness to form strategic partnerships that address Veteran needs.

Veterans eligible to live at Bedford Green will be homeless or at risk of homelessness, fall within financial guidelines, be eligible for VA services and enrolled in treatment programs at the Bedford VA to maintain their housing. Priority is given to Veterans 55 years and older.

For media inquiries, contact: Robert Cook, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital (Bedford VA), Robert.Cook8@va.gov, 1-781-687-2609.

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