MENANDS– Leading up to the Memorial Day weekend, Beacon Communities hosted a veterans appreciation event in partnership with Soldier On, a nonprofit committed to ending veteran homelessness.
The event took place at 35 Broadway, Menands, a development more than six years in the making that will provide affordable one-bedroom apartments and supportive services for homeless and low-income Albany County veterans and other households. Construction is expected to be completed by April 2025.
The 67 affordable units are currently under construction. Thirty-five will be supportive units reserved for veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless; and 32 others will be affordable and made available to low-income members of the community.
The project at 35 Broadway has received funding from the New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) and targets households earning up to 30 and 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI).
“Together, we have achieved one of Governor Kathy Hochul’s key commitments by providing more affordable homes for New Yorkers, particularly veterans who have bravely served our nation and may be struggling with homelessness,” said Darren Scott, Upstate East Director of Development, New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Beacon Communities is the developer of 35 Broadway. A range of supportive services – including mental health and addiction counseling, job training, and more – will be provided by Beacon’s nonprofit partner, Soldier On, a Western Massachusetts-based veterans service agency.
“There are 1,000 veterans across New York State currently experiencing homelessness, and 127,000 vets living with some sort of housing challenge, like overcrowding or affordability,” said Dara Kovel, CEO of Beacon Communities. “This is an issue we should all feel incredibly motivated to address, advocate for, and solve. There’s a difference between people being housed, stably housed, and successfully housed. The model we’re creating here is for successful, long-term housing. As the daughter of an officer in the military and the niece of an uncle who died in service, I am so appreciative to have this opportunity to create housing for people who deserve our resect and recognition. I look forward to welcoming our residents when they move in!”
“The more I do this, the more I realize that we all need to work together,” said Bruce Buckley, CEO of Soldier On. “Homelessness isn’t about drugs. It isn’t about alcohol. It isn’t about mental health or money. It’s about lacking a support system. When I look at this project, I don’t see a building; I see a community. That’s what we provide. We’re not about buildings, we’re about the veterans who live in our buildings. That’s what we’re all here for.”
