An artist’s rendering of the proposed veterans housing in Redlands.
Additional funding secured for veterans’ housing project
San Bernardino County has taken a giant leap toward housing homeless veterans and other residents in need by securing a $23.6 million grant to help fund the $50.1 million, 80-unit Liberty Lane housing project in Redlands.
“Ensuring that veterans have adequate housing is the least we can do for those who served our country,” said Dawn Rowe, chair of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. “Liberty Lane will bring much needed housing and supportive services to the county’s homeless veterans, as well as individuals with special needs and low-income families.”
The state Department of Community Development and Housing in late December announced that $23,635,752 in California Housing Accelerator program, Tier 3 Accelerator Limited Project Gap Funding had been awarded to the Liberty Lane project. The funds originated from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).
“Affordable housing and homelessness are two of the biggest issues facing the Inland Empire,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands). “I am proud to have helped secure over $23 million in federal funding to support our most vulnerable population. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we are ensuring more communities like the Inland Empire have the resources they need to tackle the growing homelessness crisis head on.”
Liberty Lane, slated for the corner of Texas Street and West Lugonia Avenue in Redlands, will consist of five two-story buildings comprised of 80 apartment units and a 4,906 square-foot community building. The development will have 60 one-bedroom units, 19 two-bedroom units and one three-bedroom unit.
The developer, A Community of Friends, has secured a total of $13.7 million of state Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention funding for Liberty Lane to complement a $6.1 million funding commitment from the board of supervisors.
“Homelessness and mental health go hand in hand,” said Ernie Poulin, president of Rim of the World Veterans Outreach (RimVets). “Homelessness affects all walks of life. We know that a great many very likely have some sort of trauma or other issues that overtake their very ability to function normally.
“Military veterans are not exempt from these human traits and often, in response to traumas experienced while serving to protect our freedom, combined with the lack of finding adequate guidance, some veterans become so overwhelmed that they spiral toward job loss and even homelessness,” Poulin said.
“Kudos to the City of Redlands and County of San Bernardino for joining with US Vets in supporting the building of Liberty Lane, supporting homeless, mentally ill and low-income veteran families. US Vets has a great history with the March [AFB] Veterans Village but it is San Bernardino County’s time for more veterans’ housing.
“We are NOT talking about places to just stick the homeless. A Community of Friends, the nonprofit developer, has a goal to ‘create safe, attractive, independent living environments with services needed to help tenants stabilize their lives and thrive.’
“We have our share of homeless and low-income veterans coping up on the mountain,” Poulin noted. “The VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program works very hard to get services to our homeless vets in a timely manner but those are limited and can take time. At RimVets, we aim to continue our military family camaraderie with veterans living in all the communities on our mountain top. Working together with our wonderful community resources and fellow veterans’ organizations, we attempt to assist all our vets in need or crisis. Some need more help than we can provide up here.
“Until we can get a housing complex and VA-supported services ON the mountain, having services at the bottom of the mountain is the next best thing for us. I praise the work that everyone does for those who paid their dues and who need someone who has the ability and desire to pay it forward,” Poulin added.
Construction of Liberty Lane is scheduled to begin in April 2023 and conclude in fall 2024.
For more information on RimVets, visit www.rimvets.org or send an email to admin@RimVets.org.
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