New Housing Provides 52 Living Units for Disabled and Homeless Veterans

The original Freedom’s Path at Hines I property — with 72 studio and one-bedroom apartments built to house individual Veterans — has been open since 2015. With the creation of Freedom’s Path at Hines II, Communities for Veterans focused on providing affordable permanent supportive housing for families. 

“We’re always looking for opportunities to help our Veteran population, and by working with Communities for Veterans on these projects, we’re able to provide more than just a roof over their heads,” said Steven Braverman, M.D., Director, Hines VA Hospital. “We’re providing the Veterans and their families who live here an opportunity for a better life.” 

Residents will receive integral services and building amenities geared toward helping disabled and homeless Veterans build solid, sustainable futures. 

“The project grew out of a need to provide units with more bedrooms to serve households with children — either single parents or intact families — that are homeless or near homeless,” said Craig Taylor, President of both Communities for Veterans and Solutions for Veterans. “In particular, more and more female Veterans with children are in need of assistance.” 

Each apartment unit will have a kitchen with electric range, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher and disposal. 2- and 3-bedroom units will have 2 full baths to accommodate families. Community amenities like a tot lot, laundry facilities, fitness center, library, computer lab, and basketball court provide opportunities for recreation as well as advancement. 

Like Hines I, the Hines II property is located on the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital Campus, offering residents quick access to needed services. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Enhanced-Use Lease Program (EUL) is an important component of both the VA’s mission to end Veteran homelessness and the Department’s overall asset management program, managed by the Office of Asset Enterprise Management (OAEM). 

Through public-private ventures like the EUL Program, the Federal Government is able to partner with private developers, like Volunteers of America Northern New England, to provide essential housing and expanded services to homeless and at-risk of homeless Veterans that would not normally be available on a VA medical campus. All of these services are provided at little to no cost to the government.

“As with the development of Hines I, we had a wonderful working relationship with the VA hospital, the Housing Authority of Cook County, the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, and with the Illinois Housing Development Authority,” said Taylor. “We also received critical support from many private sector investors. Working with stakeholders in Chicago has been a real pleasure. We’ve had a great deal of community support for a project that really needed to happen.” 

Freedom’s Path at Hines II is located at 5000 S. 5th Avenue, Building 242, Hines, IL 60141. 

For information on leasing an apartment, please contact Hilda Ramos HUD VASH at Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital at 708-455-0078, ext. 107.

Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital Public Affairs Office

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