Jun 24, 2009 7:06 pm US/Eastern
Program Helps Homeless Vets Get Life Back On Track
New Program Teaches Valuable Life-Skills To Veterans
BEDFORD (WBZ) ―
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Steven Holland hopes to own a house of his own someday by using the skills he is learning in the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program in Bedford.
WBZ
Some veterans, who have been homeless, are getting a fresh start on life with some help.
WBZ reporter Dawn Hasbrouck details an innovative new program that will give homeless veterans a new apartment and the skills needed to succeed in life.
"We're going to take clients who are living in our shelter, but who may lack the skills to live independently. And we're going to take them as a group of four and move them into our brand new model apartment," Dr. Dennis Upper said.
People at the New England Center for Homeless Veterans say they have heard and seen the success stories and hope to add to the numbers.
"Every aspect of my life was in ruins," Steven Holland said.
Holland, a Persian Gulf War veteran, left Saudi Arabia in 1995 with problems.
"I was dealing with a lot of stress. I had child support to pay. I had to find another home and I started to drink real heavily," Holland said.
He was depressed, but one day found the Bedford VA Medical Center's Veteran's Affairs Supportive Housing Program.
"When I entered into VA, I had a trash bag and some clothes and lots and lots of debt," Holland said.
The VASH program helped him get his own place in Lowell as well as counseling.
"They counseled me on my credit., showed me what to do and how to budget myself," Holland said.
He says it's thanks to his support group. He's now engaged to his ex and has reunited with his children. He's living on veteran's benefits, but wants a job and to one day own a home.
"Life's not good. It's manageable. I have more good than I have bad and that's all I ever want," Holland said.
Dr Upper hopes the model apartment leads to similar success stories.
"We're hoping that it will be a prototype program and we'll be able to develop other apartments in the community where people can learn the same types of skills," Dr. Upper said.
Case managers will soon select the four veterans who will move into the apartment on July 1.
Each year, the center hopes to get four groups of four veterans into the apartment and out on their own.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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