Continues Ongoing Efforts to Provide Housing to Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC – November 11, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — The Department of Veterans Affairs has entered agreements to provide more than 3,000 units of permanent and transitional housing for Veterans at 25 VA medical center campuses nationwide. Additionally, agreements are pending on an additional 1,000 units, which we anticipate completing in the coming weeks. Proposed opportunities include housing for homeless Veterans, senior Veterans, disabled Veterans, other at-risk Veteran populations, and their families.
“As we approach Veterans Day, it is important that we never forget the sacrifices made by our Veterans to ensure the freedom and independence all Americans cherish,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “These efforts to ensure the well-being of our Veterans and their families demonstrate our Nation’s gratitude for their service and commitment to honoring their dedication.”
The agreements are part of VA’s Building Utilization Review and Repurposing (BURR) initiative. BURR is a VA strategic effort to identify and repurpose unused VA land and buildings in support of VA’s goal to end Veteran homelessness. VA is using its enhanced-use lease authority to permit third-party providers to finance, design, develop, maintain and operate housing with on-site supportive services, on a priority basis, for Veterans and their families.
The co-location of these projects on VAMC campuses ensures that Veterans have ready access to care and treatment designed to help them attain long-term independence and self-sufficiency.
An estimated total of 5,300 units of affordable and supportive housing will be provided to Veterans. This number includes projects already in operation or underway.
VA is proceeding with agreements with third-party providers at 25 sites nationwide. These sites and proposed developments include:
· Canandaigua, N.Y. – 48 transitional and permanent housing units
· Fort Howard, Md. – 1,437 housing units
· Lyons, N.J. – 62 permanent housing units
· Newington, Conn. – 74 permanent housing units
· Alexandria, La. – 70 transitional housing units
· Kerrville, Texas – 100 units of assisted living/extended care housing
· Knoxville, Iowa – 75 units of permanent housing
· Newington, Conn. – 100 units of assisted living/extended care housing
· Northampton, Mass. – 48 permanent housing units
· Roseburg, Ore. – 44 permanent and 10 transitional housing units
· Bath, N.Y. – 40 permanent and transitional housing units
· Battle Creek, Mich. – 100 permanent housing units
· Bedford, Mass. – 70 permanent housing units
· Brockton, Mass. – 14 permanent housing units
· Fort Harrison, Mont. – 100 permanent housing units
· Hines, Ill. – 120 permanent housing units
· Menlo Park, Calif. – 60 permanent housing units
· Minneapolis, Minn. – 58 permanent housing units
· Northport, N.Y. – 110 permanent housing units
· Sacramento, Calif. – 99 bed nursing care facility
· Spokane, Wash. – 60 units of assisted living
· St. Cloud, Minn. – 35 permanent housing units
· Togus, Maine – 50 permanent housing units
· Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 26 permanent housing units
· Vancouver, Wash. – 42 permanent housing units
For additional information regarding the BURR initiative, please visit http://www.va.gov/ASSETMANAGEMENT/index.asp.
For all other questions regarding the BURR initiative please contact 
