Hoboken American Legion Reopens With Homeless Veteran Housing

HOBOKEN, NJ — There’s one word that should never be used with “veteran”… homeless.

This statement from Commander John Carey of the American Legion Post 107 in Hoboken provided a grim-but-hopeful reminder about the ongoing need in the Mile Square City for homeless veteran housing.

On Monday, the legion and local officials celebrated the grand opening of the new American Legion Post 107, which was hit hard in Superstorm Sandy. As part of the rebuilding process, six units of housing for homeless veterans was included. Each of the units is elevated from the ground level in case of another flood, officials said.

Watch a video from the ceremony below.

• See related article: Hoboken Homeless Vet Housing Gets Final Go-Ahead
• See related article: Hoboken Veterans Send Out An SOS, Need Help With Sandy Cleanup

The American Legion’s effort in Hoboken is one of the first such partnerships in the United States between an American Legion Post and homeless veterans, officials said.

The Hoboken Shelter will partner with the American Legion Post 107 to offer supportive services to the homeless veterans, with the goal of eventually moving them to their own housing situations. The Hoboken Shelter will also offer counseling, referrals to appropriate agencies, independent living skills training, employment and job readiness programming and other services.

The Hoboken Mayor’s Office offered the following background about the project:

“In 2014, Mayor Zimmer and County Executive DeGise signed on to the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness issued by former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2014, and initiated the Hoboken American Legion Project. In 2015, the American Legion, assisted by Monarch Housing, applied for and received the six vouchers for homeless veterans from the New Jersey Department of community Affairs (NJDCA). Funding was also secured for the project from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), Hudson County, and the City of Weehawken.”

Monday’s grand opening drew support from several elected officials.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez – “The completion of this new headquarters – including housing for homeless vets and a community center – is yet another milestone in Post 107’s storied history as one of the American Legion’s longest-serving, most distinguished chapters. Serving our veterans is about more than just saying ‘thank for your service.’ It’s about delivering on the promise of a grateful nation. It’s about providing our servicemembers with the health care, education and services they need to thrive at home…. And it’s about ensuring that no veteran who served our country spends each night sleeping under a bridge or on a bench.”

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla – “As elected officials, we have a moral obligation to ensure the men and women who honorably defended our country at home and abroad have a place to sleep along with critical supportive services, and I’m proud to say Hoboken has stepped up to the task. This historic grand opening is a perfect example of what can happen when all branches of government work together for a noble cause. Thank you to the dedicated members of Post 107, especially Commander Carey and Mark Villamar, who fought tirelessly until this project was complete.”

Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise – “We have pledged that no veteran in Hudson County should be homeless. These units within American Legion Post 107 in Hoboken, supported with County HOME funds, give us one more way to help meet that pledge. I want to thank Mayor Bhalla, Mayor Zimmer, Mayor Turner, their respective City Councils, our state legislative delegation and the outstanding leadership of Post 107 who worked arm in arm to restore Post 107 in the wake of the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy and helped the Post become an even greater resource for our veterans.”

Former Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer – “I remember seeing the devastation of the Hoboken American Legion post after Superstorm Sandy. I am so glad that working together we were able to facilitate not only rebuilding in a more resilient way, but also to provide essential affordable housing for our veterans through a partnership with the Hoboken Shelter. This collaborative effort represents a model that I hope other communities will follow to provide affordable housing for the men and women who served our country.”

Former Hoboken councilman and current Housing Authority chair David Mello interviewed, directed and produced the below video taken at the grand opening.

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