ALEXANDRIA, VA-According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, nearly 11 percent of this country’s homeless population are veterans. Recently an Alexandria nonprofit, Operation Renewed Hope Foundation (ORHF), purchased a home in the area to give veterans a new start. Opened on March 9, Fairfax County Housing Community Development helped make the purchase possible.
Since its founding in 2011 ORHF has assisted more than 1,000 veterans in finding homes.
“Our goal is to get veterans into housing as quickly as possible so that they can establish themselves, get back on their feet, and regain stability,” said the organization’s president and CEO Deborah Snyder, an Army veteran.“When we purchased this property, it was in need of substantial improvement inside and out. With these beautiful, modern renovations, the 1960’s era house feels like a brand-new home. It enables us to provide quality housing to even more of our nation’s Veterans and serves as a physical ‘thank you’ for their service to our country. We are grateful to HomeAid and all its building partners who donated expertise, materials and labor to improve the lives of these Veterans and their families.”
HomeAid Northern Virginia (HANV) renovated the property so that four individuals or one family can have a comfortable stay. The $150,000 remodeling cost was covered by HANV, Christopher Companies, and various builders. Twenty-seven construction trade partners worked under HANV’s direction to transform the house from a split-level to a four-bedroom/three full-bathroom dwelling. The areas upgraded include the kitchen, plumbing, electric, and the roof. All materials were donated by local builders.
This project with HANV will allow ORHF to expand its operations and provide other needed services to people who have served in the Armed Forces.
“No veteran in this country should be without a roof over his or her head,” said Krystin Burr, HANV’s Executive Director and CEO. “Preventing homelessness requires community solutions and collaborations. HomeAid Northern Virginia is proud to have partnered with Operation Renewed Hope Foundation to expand and improve local housing options for Veterans struggling with housing stability,”
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