A housing community for homeless veterans on Milwaukee’s near west side is planning a $19 million expansion.
Vets Place Central, 3330 W. Wells St., provides housing for 74 people, with much of that in rooms where veterans double up.
The development plans call for a four-story addition to the three-story building, and extensive renovations to the existing site.
That would create space for 81 veterans − all of whom would have private rooms, said Eduardo Garza Jr., president and chief executive officer of Center for Veterans Issues Inc., the nonprofit group which operates Vets Place Central.
He said 60 rooms would be considered transitional housing, where the veterans could live for up to two years. The remaining 21 apartments would be for long-term stays.
Developing individual apartments provides more privacy and dignity for the residents, Garza told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Also, private rooms create a healthier environment, he said, including combatting the spread of illnesses.That’s something that has acquired more urgency in the wake of the COVID-19, Garza said, with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs providing grants to help vet housing providers create more private apartments throughout the nation.
