VA Plans Another 1,000 Units of Housing for Veterans at Locations Nationwide

November 17, 2011

Further Expanding Efforts to Provide Housing to Veterans

WASHINGTON, DC – November 17, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to enter into agreements to provide more than 1,000 additional units of permanent and transitional housing for Veterans at various sites on VA medical center campuses nationwide.

“These 1,000 housing units underscore VA’s commitment to providing for the housing needs of Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “This housing will help put Veterans on the path to self-sufficiency.”

These plans follow VA’s recent announcement of its intent to enter other agreements to provide more than 3,000 units of permanent and transitional housing for Veterans at 25 VA locations. Proposed opportunities include housing for homeless Veterans, senior Veterans, disabled Veterans, other at-risk Veteran populations and their families. VA also plans to enter into three mixed-use and parking agreements that will provide additional services and facilities benefitting VA, Veterans and local communities.

The planned agreements are part of VA’s enhanced-use lease authority and 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. Under its enhanced-use lease authority, VA permits 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 5,400 units of affordable and supportive housing are expected to be provided to Veterans. This number includes projects already in operation or underway and exceeds earlier estimates.

VA plans to proceed with agreements with third-party providers at 13 sites nationwide. These sites and proposed developments include:

· Augusta, Ga. – 30 permanent housing units

· Cheyenne, Wyo. – 52 permanent housing units

· Chillicothe, Ohio – 310 permanent and transitional housing units

· Danville, Ill. – 65 permanent housing units

· Dayton, Ohio – 310 permanent and transitional housing units

· Grand Island, Neb. – 102 permanent housing units

· Lincoln, Neb. – mixed-use development and 20 permanent housing units

· Memphis, Tenn. (I) – renovation of existing building, increased parking

· Memphis, Tenn. (II) – mixed-use development and increased parking

· Perry Point, Md. – 72 permanent and transitional housing units

· Salem, Va. – 104 permanent housing units

· Topeka, Kan. – 76 permanent housing units

· Walla Walla, Wash. – 40 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 .