Mercy Housing properties addressing the homeless veteran population

Community Matters Winter 2014

El Monte Veterans Village

Rendering of El Monte Veterans Village in Calif.
Rendering of El Monte Veterans Village in Calif.

With an estimated 6,300 homeless veterans living in Los Angeles County and 400 in the San Gabriel Valley alone, the El Monte Veterans Apartments located in downtown El Monte, Calif., couldn’t be developed at a more crucial time. This state-of-the-art facility will be the first of its kind within the San Gabriel Valley and will include 40 studio apartments and 2,400 square feet of common-area space – all specifically developed to support homeless veterans.

“As a veteran myself, I am really excited to be working at El Monte and serving the men and women I served with in the past,” said Eusebio Ortiz, property manager at El Monte Veterans Village.

And El Monte Veterans Village will provide more than just a roof for the veterans. Project partner New Directions for Veterans will provide substance abuse recovery support, case management, help receiving Department of Veteran Affair benefits, vocational services, employment services, basic education and computer skills. All are critical to helping veterans get back on their feet after serving our country.

Danville Veterans Project

Rendering of the future Danville Supportive Housing property for veterans
Rendering of the future Danville Supportive Housing property for veterans

Mercy Housing Lakefront (MHL) is working with the VA Illiana Health Care System (VAIHCS) to provide safe, affordable, cost effective and sustainable housing for homeless and at-risk veterans. VAIHCS was one of 34 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sites identified to take part in a bigger initiative to end homelessness among veterans by identifying unused and underused buildings at existing VA properties with the potential to develop new housing opportunities for homeless or at-risk veterans and their families.

The property is situated on the Danville, Ill., VA Medical Center campus. This multi-phased project will consist of developing 65 handicapped accessible units (one-, two- and three-bedrooms), a community center and resident services space in Phase 1 on the 15-acre parcel. Mercy Housing Lakefront residents will have use of all the amenities at the property as well as access to the full-service hospital that provides patient care services.