In an unprecedented collaboration to construct the country’s first service enriched Habitat for Heroes veteran village, the California Department of Veteran Affairs (CalVet) announced it has set aside more than $20 million for Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valley (Habitat SF/SCV) to build homes for California veterans and their families living in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Veterans will now have a great opportunity to own a home thanks to this public-private collaboration between CalVet, the Habitat for Humanity affiliate serving San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys, and that affiliate’s special program, SCV Habitat for Heroes.
“We are very excited about this collaboration with Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valley and Housing and Community Development because it will allow veterans in Santa Clarita areas to acquire a piece of the American Dream,” said Peter J. Gravett, CalVet Secretary. “These planned veteran communities will not only bring veterans together but will also offer them a neighborhood that promotes self-sufficiency.”
Eighty-seven homes will be built in Santa Clarita thanks to this collaboration. To help fund these homes for veterans, CalVet has set aside more than $21 million for qualified veterans. Veterans wishing to participate in this program must first apply to Habitat for Humanity SF/SVC (www.HabitatSCV.org).
“We are aware that the need for housing for veterans is great, but where there is a great need there are also great opportunities,” said Donna Deutchman, CEO of Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valley. “We are very pleased that this collaboration will allow Sylmar and Santa Clarita to establish itself as a community for veterans.”
