MESA, AZ — Veterans facing homelessness may need more than a place to stay. They may also need help finding work, accessing benefits, resolving transportation problems, or caring for a pet.
“I’m a firm believer that it takes a community to get a veteran on their feet,” said Joe Warhol, deputy director of the Home of Record Project.
The Mesa-based nonprofit's Veterans Pathway Housing Program combines transitional housing with individualized support and a financial incentive designed to help veterans move into stable housing.
Veterans who successfully complete the program may receive a graduation grant using the rent they contributed during their stay. The money can help cover move-in expenses, including a security deposit and first month's rent.
Gary Schell, a Marine Corps veteran who founded the organization, said the idea grew out of conversations he had while working on a veteran support line. He estimated that 60% to 70% of calls involved veterans facing eviction or having nowhere to go.
“I had an Airbnb, and I’d block off a weekend and say, ‘Hey, you know, I can take a veteran for that weekend, put them in, get them as many resources as I could, and try and get them back on their feet,’” Schell said.
After doing that several times, he said, he realized the effort needed to become more formal. The organization now provides housing and connects veterans with services intended to address the challenges contributing to their housing instability.
“Veterans are just tired of drinking from the proverbial fire hose,” Warhol said. The goal, he said, is to give veterans “a place to land” and connect them with resources as they need them.
The program typically targets a six-month stay, but Schell said the timeline can change depending on a participant's progress.
“We set it at six months, but we understand everybody’s situation is different,” he said. “It’s always about the trajectory.”
Participants work with the organization to establish goals based on their individual circumstances. Those goals might involve employment, benefits, transportation or other challenges that could stand in the way of stable housing.
The graduation grant is intended to help bridge the financial gap between transitional housing and a home of one's own.
“That graduation grant can help fix that and actually, you know, move them forward,” Schell said.
Warhol emphasized that the program is not built around a one-size-fits-all plan.
“What does the veteran want? What does the veteran need?” he said. “It’s tailored for them.”
The organization also works with community partners to connect veterans with services beyond housing. Schell cited the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services for benefits assistance, Hire Heroes USA for employment support, Emerging Vets and Players for physical activity and peer support, and the Arizona Pet Project for pet-related assistance.
The goal is to address practical problems that can trigger a chain reaction. Schell said he has seen situations in which losing a car led to losing a job, creating additional difficulties for a veteran already struggling to maintain stability.
“We know they’re capable,” he said of veterans in the program. “They’ve done hard things before.”
The program, he said, aims to “set the conditions for the veteran to succeed.”
The Home of Record Project is also seeking funding for property renovations to expand its housing efforts. Schell said the organization is exploring building sponsorships and other ways community members can help support its work.
The organization is renovating several housing units on Dana Avenue in Mesa that were previously owned and operated by other transitional housing agencies. Schell and Warhol said the properties represent an opportunity to expand the organization's ability to help veterans move toward lasting stability.
The Home of Record Project works to prevent evictions, provide housing, and connect veterans and their families with individualized support.
Veterans seeking assistance, as well as community members interested in supporting the organization, can learn more at the Home of Record Project website.
