Construction is underway on a new housing complex in San Bernardino aimed at providing homes for homeless veterans across the Inland Empire.
The nonprofit U.S.VETS broke ground Wednesday on a 30-unit housing development near E Street and 13th Street that organizers say will eventually house more than two dozen veterans who currently have no place to live.
The project is part of the organization’s broader effort to reduce homelessness among former service members in the region, where hundreds remain unhoused.
“We have 500 veterans in this region that are considered unhoused,” said Nicole Starks-Murray, executive director of U.S.VETS Inland Empire.
U.S.VETS describes itself as the largest nonprofit working directly to combat veteran homelessness in the United States. The new complex is intended to provide not only housing, but also support services that can help veterans stabilize their lives.
“It can be mixed,” said Joe Lee, a permanent housing coordinator with U.S.VETS Inland Empire. “We have spots for single (veterans) or spots for families. It all depends on the need of the veteran. We want to make sure they are comfortable and off the streets.”
Lee said he and his staff already oversee more than 60 veterans throughout the Inland Empire each day, helping coordinate housing and services after veterans are screened to ensure they receive the proper support.
“They can start their internal healing once they get housed,” Lee said. “We believe housing first makes someone more subjectable to advance in life.”
The $28 million project is being developed in partnership with San Bernardino County and the city of San Bernardino. Organizers say it was made possible by a donation from a Holocaust survivor and his wife who settled in San Bernardino after World War II and donated the land for veteran housing.
A ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday included community leaders and a color guard, as supporters highlighted the need to provide housing for veterans who once served the country.
“Our nation is full of heroes and they deserve that,” Starks-Murray said. “That’s why we are here and enjoying the freedom. They secured our borders and came back and not had a space to call home is outrageous.”
U.S.VETS already operates three housing sites across the Inland Empire, but organizers say this project will include additional on-site support. The complex will house a manager responsible for overseeing residents’ needs, including access to medical care and meals.
The development is expected to open late next year.