AKRON, Ohio — The latest research from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates over 32,000 American military veterans experience homelessness on a single night. That number is coming down, but it’s still very high.
A project is underway in Akron to help.
Ground will soon be broken on the Thompson Family Veterans Village, a permanent housing development that will allow veterans to enter into lease agreements and pay rent based on income.
We first told you about the development in May.
RELATED: New Akron veterans housing project in the works to help low-income, disabled vets
Matt Slater, the Director of Development for Axess Family Services took part in a ceremony to get the ball rolling.
“What’s more honorable or American than communities coming together to take care of their Veterans?” he said.
Ten 800-square foot single-family homes are just the start. Veterans will have access to supportive wraparound services as well.
The Thompson Family Foundation is one of the driving forces behind the project, led by Army veteran Michael Thompson.
“I came home from Vietnam. I had to get out of the military”, he said. “But the military never left me. It was always in me, because, again, my first love was the military.”
Public and private stakeholders are working together, with a goal of having the houses ready for move-in by late summer 2027. There’s also a possibility of building more homes on the site in the future. Everything, they say, is geared toward setting veterans up for success.
“When they are in the military, they are part of something larger than themselves,” Slater said. “That’s what we are building here.”
