Vista Maria is expanding its mission to help women with a newly renovated housing space, specifically for women vets.
This is the only program of its kind in Michigan specifically dedicated to housing women veterans and their children.
Vista Maria housing for women veterans
The backstory:
Vista Maria was one of 19 Michigan organizations to get funding from a special VA grant to make this possible.
Big picture view:
The building will be on Vista Maria’s Dearborn Heights campus, and feature comfortable, modern living spaces designed with women and families in mind, including a children’s play area, book nook, and toys.
Why you should care:
Thousands of veterans are experiencing homelessness in the U.S. right now, and women veterans are an often overlooked population with growing needs.
"Women just by their nature don’t necessarily seek out shelters, emergency shelters, because they dont feel safe for them. It’s mainly populated by men," said Kathy Regan, president and CEO of Vista Maria. "They typically stay in relationships that may not be safe. They may be sleeping in cars. Odds are, you have kids who may be going to school with somebody who actually is homeless, you just don’t know it."
Dig deeper:
Participants will receive individualized housing and recovery planning, life skills support, employment and benefits guidance, and access to trauma-informed clinical services through licensed community partners.
From the start of each participant’s stay, Vista Maria will work with them to prepare for permanent housing, identify opportunities, and connect with housing providers.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from Vista Maria and FOX 2 reporter Taneisha Cordell.