Category Archives: Housing Projects

September 11 2023

JBJ Soul Foundation and New England Patriots Foundation Unite for Veterans: Groundbreaking Ceremony in Tewksbury, MA

November 11, 2022 – It was announced that the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation has partnered with the New England Patriots Foundation, in a joint match grant in support of the build for Soldier On’s Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, located in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Soldier On is dedicated to providing and coordinating an extensive continuum of housing and support services for veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

SOLDIER ON HOLD GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR PERMANENT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FOR AT-RISK AND HOMELESS VETERANS

TEWKSBURY, MA (July 13, 2023) – Elected officials, community partners, and supporters gathered in the Town Common to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Gordon H. Mansfield Veteran Community.

Soldier On, based in Pittsfield, MA, is dedicated to providing and coordinating an extensive continuum of housing and support services for veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. The project, the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, will be the organization’s eighth permanent housing facility for veterans since it was founded in 1994.

The community is named for the late Gordon H. Mansfield, a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran who served as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as well as Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equality Opportunity at the Department of Housing & Urban Development. During his military service, Mansfield earned the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star, three Purple Hearts, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Presidential Unit Citation.

Soldier On became the development lead for this project at the invitation of Tewksbury Home Build, a local housing nonprofit that gained control of the site through a town-supported process of creating affordable housing. The development is located at 1660 Main Street, adjacent to Heatherwood Gracious Retirement Living. The new four-story,18,565 sq. ft. building will provide 21 units of affordable permanent supportive housing for veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. All units will be fully furnished and include internet, cable, utilities and one meal per day. The facility will have a “Let’s Talk Interactive” telehealth kiosk and transportation provided to bring residents to appointments. Each veteran will have a case manager to ensure they receive the wrap around services they need.

About Soldier On
Soldier On is a private, nonprofit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness. Soldier On was organized in 1994 to provide a continuum of programs to ensure that homeless veterans and their families have access to immediate and long-term housing with an array of support services delivered directly to them where they live. The ultimate goal is to provide formerly homeless and at-risk veterans with permanent, supportive, sustainable housing. For more information, visit www.wesoldieron.org.

About The New England Patriots Foundation
Robert Kraft established the New England Patriots Foundation in 1994 as a way to give back to the communities the Patriots call home. The mission of the foundation is to aid individuals and families that are often marginalized in today’s society. Through the implementation of year-round programming and support of philanthropic agencies, the foundation is building stronger communities throughout New England. For more information about the New England Patriots Foundation, visit www.patriots.com/community.

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August 8 2023

JBJ Soul Foundation celebrates the Grand Opening of Inn of Amazing Mercy

Project HOME Achieves 1,000 Units of Supportive Housing in Philadelphia with Grand Opening of Inn of Amazing Mercy in Kensington on Thursday, Aug. 3

Newest residence at 115 E. Huntingdon Street amplifies Project HOME’s focus on the opioid epidemic as a major root cause of homelessness in Philadelphia and beyond

PHILADELPHIA, PA – August 3, 2023 – Project HOME today announced the grand opening of Inn of Amazing Mercy, the organization’s 20^thsupportive, affordable housing residence. Located at 115 E. Huntington Street, Inn of Amazing Mercy is Project HOME’s second recovery residence in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, adding to its housing, services, and resources focused on treatment and support for individuals experiencing homelessness and battling substance use disorder. With the opening of Inn of Amazing Mercy, Project HOME has now exceeded the creation of 1,000 units of affordable housing across Philadelphia.

“We’ve long recognized that in order to end and prevent homelessness in Philadelphia, we must directly address the root causes of this crisis, which for many unsheltered individuals includes substance use disorder,” said Sister Mary Scullion, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Project HOME. “The opening of Inn of Amazing Mercy in the heart of Kensington advances our work providing housing, healing, and hope on the front lines of the opioid epidemic. The fact that this residence marks our goal of building 1,000 units of permanent, supportive housing makes it especially meaningful, and we’re grateful to Ward and Kathy Fitzgerald and so many other visionaries for their generosity and commitment.”

Elevating a National Model for Street Medicine

The opening of Inn of Amazing Mercy enhances Project HOME’s nationally recognized Epstein Street Medicine Program by serving as a hub for the program’s groundbreaking work. With a deep understanding of the population experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia, three nurse practitioners and one registered nurse travel with Project HOME’s Street Outreach Team across the city, with a current focus on individuals living unsheltered in Kensington. Meeting and treating individuals where they are, the team delivers holistic, person-centered, and trauma-informed care through a harm-reduction lens, aiming to improve medical outcomes and enhance access to healthcare and support services. The program has emerged as a national model for combatting substance use disorder, among other health conditions, for those experiencing homelessness.

The opening of Inn of Amazing Mercy also follows the recent launch of the Estadt-Lubert Collaborative for Housing and Recovery, a groundbreaking partnership between Project HOME, Jefferson Health, Penn Medicine, and Temple Health that is changing the way the opioid epidemic is addressed for individuals experiencing homelessness. The Collaborative advances a comprehensive “healing ecosystem” comprised of integrated healthcare, employment and social wellness services, and permanent supportive housing, including at Inn of Amazing Mercy. The opening of the residence brings the Collaborative one step closer to achieving its goal of transforming the care of those who are unsheltered and suffering from substance use disorder.

About Inn of Amazing Mercy

Inn of Amazing Mercy contains 62 units of affordable housing — 50 units of long-term supportive housing and short-term housing and supplementary services for up to 12 persons with substance use disorder in 4 efficiency units and 8 respite beds. Residents are provided medication-assisted treatment through Project HOME’s Healthcare Services team, in addition to case management and peer support. Residents are also connected to employment and education services, including assistance with certifications, computer training, on-the-job coaching, skill development, and support needed for ongoing housing stability.

“When society encounters challenges, it takes the courage of the public and private sectors to become catalysts for change, and the team at Project HOME have proven to be that change agent in Philadelphia,” said Ward and Kathy Fitzgerald, philanthropists and lead donors of the new Inn of Amazing Mercy. “We are thrilled to join the other tremendous families that have supported Project HOME through the years in the Philadelphia area and feel fortunate to be specifically supporting this powerful project located in Kensington, which has the unfortunate distinction of being the epicenter of the opioid epidemic in the United States. With the Kensington section of the city continuing to draw national attention around this crisis, Inn of Amazing Mercy could be among the most critical seeds ever planted. The time has come for greater private involvement and the public sector at the State and Federal level, and we hope today’s grand opening helps to encourage this. We are humbled to be a small participant in the noble work the members of Project HOME perform every day.

”Inn of Amazing Mercy is the ninth project of MPOWER, a unique partnership model drawing on a powerful network of people and ideas that multiplies Project HOME’s impact in five key areas: investments, relationships, resources, advocacy, and evidence. The $27 million residence has been made possible in part by $14 million in private funding, contributed by over 20 donors. This includes leadership gifts made by Leigh and John Middleton and Pam Estadt and Ira Lubert, along with a portion of a $6.8 million gift recently made by the William Penn Foundation and capital gifts made by the Hess Foundation, the Maguire family, and the JBJ Soul Foundation.

“We’re thrilled and so proud to once again lend our support and vision to Project HOME’s ongoing mission with Inn of Amazing Mercy,” said Jon Bon Jovi, chairman of JBJ Soul Foundation. “On behalf of the entire JBJ Soul Foundation organization, I’d like to congratulate Project HOME on achieving its goal of 1,000 units of housing and continued efforts to tackle the root causes of homelessness and poverty.”

“With the opening of Inn of Amazing Mercy and our 1,000^th unit of affordable housing, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made as an organization and the continued generosity of our growing community of MPOWER partners,” said Annette Jeffrey, Senior Vice President of Development and Communications at Project HOME. “When we talk about MPOWER, we talk about ‘The Power of We,’ and Inn of Amazing Mercy is yet another product of the supercharged support engine MPOWER has become through the collective partnership of so many like Ward and Kathy Fitzgerald who believe in a better tomorrow for Philadelphia.”

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May 11 2022

JBJ Soul Foundation Joins HELP USA to Celebrate Grand Opening of New Affordable Housing for Veterans and Seniors

HELP USA, Philadelphia Housing Authority, The City of Philadelphia, and The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Open New Affordable Housing for Veterans and Seniors

– HELP USA transforms unused Reynolds School into 55 apartments and support space for seniors and homeless veterans –

(May 11, 2022) Philadelphia – National housing nonprofit HELP USA, in partnership with the Philadelphia Housing Authority, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, PHDC, and the City of Philadelphia, celebrated the grand opening of The Brigadier General Hazel Johnson Brown Veterans Center at HELP Philadelphia VI. The renovation of the former school in the Sharswood neighborhood of North Philadelphia created 55 units of housing for seniors and homeless veterans.

“Opening our sixth project in Philadelphia is a significant milestone,” said David Cleghorn, Chief Housing Officer at HELP USA. “This building will provide housing and support services to people in need. Its transformation from an abandoned building into an asset for the neighborhood and the city exemplifies the best kind of public-private collaborations.”

The 51 one-bedroom and 4 two-bedroom apartments are designated for low-income seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. Nine units have been set aside expressly for formerly homeless or special needs veterans. The building also houses a community room, health-service spaces, and office space for supportive services.

“We strongly support this development of Veterans housing for worthy veterans who need safe, affordable places to call home in Philadelphia,” said Philadelphia Council President Darrell Clarke. “These men and women served our Country admirably; now, it’s time we served them, and this development helps us all towards that worthy goal.”

The project serves as a partner to Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Sharswood Blumberg Neighborhood Choice Revitalization Plan. This ambitious plan is already working to radically transform the neighborhood from high-rise public housing to a more residential scale by renovating senior housing and constructing single-family townhouses.

“It is an honor to again support our great community partner HELP USA in its mission to provide homes for the people most in need, particularly our formerly homeless veterans,” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “Our commitment includes funding of more than $1,000 a month for the next 20 years for 49 of the units in this building, and a long-term $1.5 million loan. The conversion of this formerly vacant school building represents the latest addition to the ongoing, incredible transformation of Sharswood that PHA is privileged to lead.”

The project has received widespread support, including endorsements from Governor Tom Wolf, Mayor Jim Kenney, Council President Darrell Clarke, State Senator Sharif Street, and former U.S. Representative Bob Brady.

“PHDC is proud to be a part of this development that helps house our seniors and homeless veterans,” said David Thomas, CEO of PHDC. “Our commitment to affordable housing and community development through financing, land, and other solutions are important to projects like this. The Reynolds School, once used to educate our children, has been repurposed to become the Brigadier General Hazel Johnson Brown Veterans Center, helping house some of our most vulnerable residents in Philadelphia.”

Construction funding was provided by local, state, and federal partners and through generous contributions from the philanthropic world including Home Depot, and lead funder, the Jon Bon Jovi SOUL Foundation.

“The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation is proud to once again partner with our friends at HELP USA”, said Leo Carlin, President of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. “Joining forces on this project in Philadelphia was important to us as it addresses a huge need in this community by providing not only a safe place for people to call home, but also services that can help shape the rest of their lives. The JBJ Soul Foundation has always believed that projects like this one are made possible by organizations from all sectors coming together to make a difference and we are thrilled to be one of them.”

About HELP USA – HELP USA is one of the nation’s largest homeless service providers and low-income housing developers serving at-risk populations, including families, veterans, and victims of domestic violence. HELP USA currently serves more than 8,000 people every day at over 50 programs and residences across five states. Since its founding in 1986, HELP USA has served more than 500,000 men, women, and children and developed more than 2,500 units of housing.

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December 7 2021

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation To Help Provide Housing For Homeless Veterans

Rock Legend’s Latest Grant Will Support American Legion’s Veterans Center of Hoboken

HOBOKEN, NJ, (July 12, 2021) American Legion Post 107 and Hoboken Councilman Phil Cohen today announced that the Post’s nonprofit Veterans Center of Hoboken has received a generous match grant of $100,000 from the JBJ Soul Foundation, founded by Jon Bon Jovi, as the Post creates new housing and supportive services to provide homeless veterans with a place of their own.

“We know that even one homeless veteran living on the streets is one too many,” said Commander John P. Carey of Post 107. “They are heroes who served our country and sacrificed, and now need a helping hand. We are grateful to the JBJ Soul Foundation for such a generous grant, which will help make the vision of an expanded Veterans Center a reality.”

“JBJ Soul Foundation is dedicated to continuing our work with veterans, addressing issues of hunger and homelessness, and we are all inspired by the Veterans Center of Hoboken,” said Jon Bon Jovi. “The Center is not only expanding with 18 additional furnished housing units, but is also providing services including physical and mental health care and employment opportunities for these struggling veterans. This is exactly the kind of mission and positive impact the Foundation is proud to support.”

Architecture rendering of Veterans Center of Hoboken Phase II

Hoboken Councilman Phil Cohen thanked the JBJ Soul Foundation for partnering with American Legion Post 107 on this extraordinary project, saying “I believe we have a moral duty to ensure the men and women who honorably served our country have a roof over their heads and receive the critical support services they deserve after all they have given our nation.”

Beginning today, donations from individuals, civic groups, small businesses, and corporations will be matched dollar for dollar until the challenge grant is fulfilled. Gifts from $25 to $25,000 are eligible. To Support the Veterans Center of Hoboken, visit Hobokenlegion.org/give or mail a check (made payable to Veterans Center of Hoboken) to 308 2nd Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030.

After its Hoboken headquarters was demolished by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, American Legion Post 107 rebuilt a flood-resistant facility that includes six units of affordable housing for homeless veterans. By adding 18 units, the Veterans Center will be poised to substantially, permanently reduce veteran homelessness in Hudson County. For more than a century the Post has been serving those who served their country.

UPDATE: JBJ Soul Foundation is proud to share that our match has been met and we are thankful for the support of this project. On December 7, 2021, the JBJSF presented a grant for $100,000 at the groundbreaking ceremony held by the American Legion Post 107.

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November 17 2021

Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth Reaches Housing Expansion Campaign Goal Through Community Support Led by Las Vegas Sands and the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation

Nonprofit Launches the NPHY Transitional Housing/Rapid Rehousing Program with Additional Beds, Wraparound Services to Address Lack of Housing Capacity for Homeless Youth

LAS VEGAS, November 17, 2021 – In celebration of National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) today announced culmination of its Housing Expansion Campaign, exceeding the goal of $500,000 with $675,000 generated through the funding push that began in February 2019. Major investments of $200,000 from Las Vegas Sands and a $100,000 community matching grant from the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation led the campaign to rally the Las Vegas community around addressing the lack of housing capacity for homeless youth in Southern Nevada.

Thanks to the campaign’s success, NPHY has been able to purchase a 15-bed housing property that increases its housing stock by 150 percent and provides an additional 5,475 nights per year to keep youth experiencing homelessness safe and off the streets. With programmatic funding support from Clark County marijuana business license fees, this new housing property has become part of the NPHY Transitional Housing/Rapid Rehousing Program, which provides a total of 30 housing beds and delivers comprehensive services to assist youth in navigating beyond their circumstances and creating pathways for success.

“The JBJ Soul Foundation understands the great need to continue to address youth homelessness across the country, which is when we saw the potential to make an impact in Las Vegas,” said Jon Bon Jovi, Board Chairman of the JBJ Soul Foundation. “We knew that in partnering with NPHY and Sands, along with motivating the community with our match grant, we would create a successful venture where vulnerable youth can have not only a safe place to sleep, but also have access to services to help them move beyond their circumstances.”

At the campaign’s launch, Southern Nevada only had enough youth-dedicated beds to serve less than 22 percent of the young people experiencing homelessness on a given night in Southern Nevada. Recognizing this critical need, Sands committed an initial $100,000 in seed funding through Sands Cares to start the campaign in 2019 and recruited the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation to join the effort, marking the Foundation’s first charitable investment in Southern Nevada. The Foundation provided a $100,000 grant to match community donations as a way to inspire excitement and participation. At the end of the campaign, Sands provided an additional $100,000 to help NPHY address rising real estate costs spurred by the pandemic, which increased the amount needed to purchase the housing property. Other major campaign donations came from Chase, the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), the Cashman Family Foundation, the Robert S and J Dorothy Keyser Foundation, and anonymous individual donors.

With funding needs met, NPHY was able to purchase the multifamily housing property and launch a comprehensive program to wrap a full suite of services around youth living in the residence. Under the umbrella of the NPHY Transitional Housing/Rapid Rehousing Program, youth in the housing program also receive case management; employment and education assistance; immediate needs services such as food, clothing, hygiene supplies, and transportation; moving assistance; life skills classes; and peer mentorship and support. This comprehensive program not only addresses housing needs, but provides the critical support services that can put vulnerable youth on a pathway to self-sufficiency and success.

“Our campaign was focused on the concept that a place to sleep is more than just a bed – it’s the foundation for a brighter tomorrow and a future with possibilities for youth to reach their highest potential,” said Arash Ghafoori, CEO of NPHY. “We accomplished the goal of narrowing the gap in youth housing capacity because of the continued committed partnership of Las Vegas Sands, the willingness of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation to bring its successful track record in establishing homelessness housing solutions to Las Vegas, and, most important, the generous support of our community.”

The NPHY Housing Expansion Campaign targeted a key focus area outlined in the Southern Nevada Plan to End Youth Homelessness, which mapped out a strategy of increasing housing through innovative funding partnerships such as this one. Unveiled in 2018, the plan addresses the alarming youth homelessness statistics that plague this region. Clark County’s metro area consistently ranks among the top in the nation for the rate of unaccompanied homeless youth living on the streets or in shelters, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“We’ve worked with NPHY as a committed partner in the fight to end youth homelessness since 2014,” said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs at Sands. “We know that when NPHY identifies a need, they will create a solution that makes impact. That’s why we invested in the campaign and recruited our friends at the JBJ Soul Foundation. We knew this combination could inspire our community to success.”

To learn more about NPHY’s successful housing expansion campaign, visit nphy.org/aplacetosleep/ and sands.com/responsibility/community/sands-cares/youth-homelessness.

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About Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY)

For the past 20 years, NPHY has been the most comprehensive service provider for the thousands of homeless youth in Southern Nevada, serving hundreds of youth through our core programs and touching the lives of thousands more through outreach each year. NPHY’s programs stabilize homeless teens’ lives, meeting their immediate needs and providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency. Through our work with homeless youth, NPHY creates productive, healthy adults who contribute to society. Strengthening and complementing our high-quality direct services for homeless youth, NPHY is dedicated to advocating with and for the Vegas Valley’s homeless youth population and serves as a leader in systems-level efforts to eliminate homelessness among Nevada’s youth. For more information or to support our life-changing work for homeless youth, please visit www.nphy.org.