Veterans

A new partnership with Catholic Charities will add two hundred units across the region Cardinal O’Malley at the program announcement T he Archdiocese of Boston has announced a significant expansion of its housing ministry for homeless veterans, in partnership with Catholic Charities of Boston and a coalition of parish sponsors from across the archdiocese. The initiative will develop two hundred units of transitional and permanent supportive housing at ten sites across Greater Boston and the South Shore. The project represents the largest single housing initiative the Archdiocese has undertaken in a generation. Each site will be managed by Catholic Charities staff and will offer wraparound services including mental health counseling, addiction recovery support, job training, and spiritual accompaniment through a dedicated chaplaincy program. Cardinal Sean O’Malley called the project a response to the Church’s call to serve those who have served their country, noting that the number of homeless veterans in the Greater Boston area has increased sharply over the past two years. Funding comes from a combination of federal housing grants, archdiocesan capital funds, and a major lead gift from an anonymous Catholic family. These men and women gave everything for this country. The least we can do is ensure they have a roof over their heads. Construction on the first two sites is expected to begin this autumn, with the first residents moving in by the following spring. The archdiocese has partnered with local veterans’ service organizations to identify candidates for housing and ensure that referrals are made quickly and with appropriate support from the first day of occupancy. Parish communities throughout the archdiocese are being invited to adopt individual units by contributing to furnishing costs, providing volunteer meal teams, and committing to ongoing relationship with resident veterans. Officials say this model of parish involvement is intentional — designed to rebuild the bonds of community that many veterans have lost and that no institutional program can fully replace.