Carrfour Supportive Housing, Florida’s largest nonprofit affordable housing developer, has become the first recipient of a new, $400,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation’s Veteran Housing Grants Program. The Foundation’s support will go toward the ongoing construction of Carrfour’s Liberty Village, a veteran-focused community in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood.
In partnership with Miami–Dade County’s Homeless Trust, 48 of the project’s 60 apartment units will be designated for homeless and disabled veterans and their families. The remaining units are designated affordable for individuals making 60% or less of the area median income. Units range in size from studio to two-bedroom apartments.
“We’re extremely appreciative of The Home Depot Foundation’s continued efforts to make a life-changing impact in the lives of thousands of South Florida veteran families,” said Stephanie Berman, president and CEO of Carrfour Supportive Housing, in a statement. “These new dollars will provide Carrfour with the necessary resources to help veterans in our community who suffer from homelessness, and put them on the path toward stability.”
Liberty Village will provide a number of on-site supportive services geared toward the specific needs of their residents, including outreach, case management, and resiliency services. Staff can also assist residents with obtaining VA benefits, alongside other offerings, including health care, employment training, and recovery support.
A computer lab, library, covered bicycle racks, and laundry facility will be available on-site, and a vertical community garden will contribute to the community’s skill-building services and overall health. The community will be 100% ADA compliant, with full wheelchair accessibility.
Liberty Village is the second veteran-focused Carrfour development to receive a Home Depot Foundation grant. In 2012, the Foundation gave $350,000 to support Carrfour’s Harding Village in North Miami Beach, which also serves disabled, formerly homeless, and low-income residents, including veterans.
Carrfour, originally formed by the Homeless Committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, in 1993, has developed more than 2,000 units of affordable and supportive housing across South Florida with the help of hundreds of millions of dollars in financing, tax credits, and subsidies.
“Many of our veterans and their families face housing challenges, and issues like unemployment and age- and service-related disabilities can make those challenges more complicated,” said Erica Headlee, veteran housing grant manager for The Home Depot Foundation. “We’re honored to partner with organizations like this one to create solutions for veterans.”
The Home Depot Foundation has invested over $198 million in veteran-focused housing and facilities.
