The Home Depot Foundation granted an additional $8 million to nonprofit partners as part of its overall commitment of half a billion dollars to veteran causes. The Home Depot Foundation has been working to combat veteran homelessness for the past decade and these latest grants will fund construction and renovation of more than 800 housing units, short-term residential programs, supportive services, and other programs aimed at bringing an end to veteran homelessness.
“Over the past decade, The Home Depot Foundation has invested over $110 million to ensure our nation’s heroes are able to successfully transition out of homelessness through access to housing and supportive services,” Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation, said in a prepared statement. “While the factors leading to the issue are complex, the mission is clear: together, we must end veteran homelessness. We’re proud to partner with organizations committed to bringing this vision to life.”
The Foundation has partnered with numerous national nonprofit organizations, including the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, Volunteers of America, Community Solutions, and Housing Assistance Council. Grants to these organizations will help thousands of veterans experiencing homelessness in major cities move into housing, provide for new construction and rehabilitation of permanent supportive housing units and transitional housing units, make more affordable housing resources available, and help low-income veterans at risk of homelessness in rural communities access affordable housing.
“Volunteers of America is committed to ending veteran homelessness and preventing others from becoming homeless, and, through this grant of $1.9 million from The Home Depot Foundation, we’ll be able to provide services and housing to more veterans across the nation,” Tanisha Smith, vice president of corporate partnerships for Volunteers of America, said. “Through emergency and transitional housing, mental health, case management, employment, and mentorship services, we’re committed to helping veterans overcome the barriers that stand between them and a stable, secure life.”
Through the Home Depot Foundation’s Veteran Housing Grant program, more than $3.7 million will be distributed to nonprofits making a direct impact in their local communities. A $1 million investment in the greater Los Angeles area will help U.S.VETS and Century Villages at Carbillo construct more than 200 new units of housing for low-income veterans and those experiencing homelessness. A grant donation in Orlando will support Step Up on Second Street with the construction of 101 units of permanent supportive housing, with 30 units reserved for veterans and their families. Additional funds have been granted to nonprofits in Atlanta, San Francisco, Tampa, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Ore.
