Aurora OKs grant for veterans facility

Local veterans who have fallen on hard times are set to benefit from $450,000 in federal block grants approved by Aurora aldermen Tuesday night.

The money, earmarked for land acquisition projects as part of a package from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist low-income residents and remove blight, was approved to help local not-for-profit Hope For Tomorrow build their headquarters and an 11-14 bed residence for veterans taking advantage of their new U.S. VetCare program.

The organization, which specializes in treating addictive disorders, will use the $450,000 to purchase the former Opportunity House at 469 N. Lake St. for its new headquarters and 479 N. Lake St. to house veterans.

Executive Director Jeff Gilbert said he hopes to open the facility to local veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as soon as October but said the headquarters will need between $175,000 and $200,000 of work to retrofit it to their needs.

"The issue we're faced with is that many veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are unable to access care and begin self-medicating themselves, which often leads to health and legal troubles," Gilbert said. "But if we can get them in a bed, we can offer them counseling, veteran services, family reunification help and teach social integration skills to help them get back on their feet."

Third Ward Alderman Stephanie Kifowit, herself a Marine, said the facility is much needed for the "underserved population" of veterans in need of assistance.

Hope For Tomorrow operates an eight-bed U.S. VetCare home on Hartford Avenue in Aurora. Knowing more help was needed, Gilbert said he first had a vision of acquiring the properties last year, but financing fell through. With Tuesday's grant approval, financing is no longer a problem.

"We had to keep working to find a way to get this done because the nearest other facility is in Wheaton. They do a great job but only have five beds," he said. "These men and women answered the call to risk their lives and everything they have to protect us and keep us free, so we needed to answer the call to give them a place to pull themselves together."

Aldermen also doled out $200,000 for the Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity to purchase nearly 4 acres at Solfisburg Avenue and Beckwith Street. City officials said as many as eight homes may be fit on the parcels but that the city's zoning department was working out the details.