Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers

(City of Glendale)

Veterans Community Project invites the public and media to a groundbreaking ceremony at 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 1 next to the adjacent VFW Post 1433 at 7618 N. 63rd Ave., Glendale.

VCP leaders, local civic officials and members of the veteran community will play host to the ceremony.

Bryan Meyer, VCP Co-Founder and CEO, will be there, as will Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers.

“As most folks know, military personnel and veterans have always been a top priority to me; combined with veteran homelessness, this project is something all our councilmembers support. By partnering with Veterans Community Project, we are able to take on these top priorities while working with a nationally renowned veteran-serving organization," Weiers stated in a press release. "I look forward to seeing veterans going through this program to become self-reliant again, and more importantly be able to hold their chest out and feel good about themselves.”

VCP of Glendale will include a village of 50 transitional housing units, ranging from 240 to 360 square feet, for veterans experiencing homelessness and a Village Center building for staff and case managers to work with residents on individualized goals to gain permanent housing.

The approximately $14 million project is launching with local support, including $6.2 million in land and financial contributions from the city of Glendale, Maricopa County and the state of Arizona.

Fundraising is underway for the capital campaign and those interested in getting involved can find more details, including contact information, at vcp.org/glendale.

Guests are encouraged to arrive at 10:30.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates between 30,000 and 35,000 Veterans are experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States. Locally, HUD currently estimates 994 of those Veterans are in Arizona.

Veterans Community Project is a growing national nonprofit organization with a solution to this problem.

Since welcoming the first residents at VCP of Kansas City in 2018, its model of free transitional housing and tailored on-site case management services has demonstrated an 85% success rate in helping veterans go from experiencing homelessness to achieving permanent housing - in typically 12 to 18 months.