Veteran’s Haven, a program of Family & Community Services, is set to begin construction on a container home project at the intersection of West Warren Avenue and Hillman Street before the end of the year.
The project made its way to Mahoning County after an invitation by County Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti in 2019. The facility has been working out of a temporary shelter on Chalmers Avenue since 2021 and has served 75 homeless veterans this year.
First-Ward Councilman Julius Oliver and the Mahoning County Commissioners plan to officially announce the project on October 10th at 11am and are inviting press and interested parties to join. The project announcement will take place on the currently vacant land where the new project will be developed.
This new 1.2-million-dollar facility was made possible through $600,000 of capital funding from The Department of Veterans Affairs Capital Program, $150,000 of ARPA funding from The Mahoning County Board of Commissioners, and $100,000 from the City of Youngstown-Ward One. In addition to these funds, Family & Community Services, has launched an adopt-a-room program for donors to also participate in the creation of this needed facility. For more information on the adopt-a-room campaign contact Matt Slater, Director of Development at [email protected] or at 330-297-7027 ext. 327.
The first phase of the new housing project will include a transitional shelter made out of shipping containers – a greener, faster, and less expensive method for construction – yet will look like a traditional home built out of wood and lumber. Veteran’s Haven plans to complete additional phases of the project to add permanent supportive housing on the vacant lots over the next several years. Once Phase One is complete, the facility will have the capacity to serve 14 homeless veterans with their own private bedroom and bathroom and will be open to veterans of all genders and sexual orientations.
Veteran’s Haven and Family & Community Services are looking forward to the project and the opportunity for involvement from the community. An official groundbreaking ceremony is expected to take place sometime in November. For more information or to support this project, contact Brandi Parker, Assistant Director of Veteran Services, at [email protected]. You can also visit the Veteran Haven webpage at fcsserves.org/program/veterans-haven or stay updated via Facebook @VeteransHavenFCS.