K. Hovnanian Homes, Freddie Mac Foundation and local Community Development Block Grants Contribute to Expansion
June 6, 2011, Chantilly, Va.—HomeAid Northern Virginia, which leverages the resources of the homebuilding community and its corporate partners to conduct major renovations to homeless shelters and transitional houses, announced today that it will manage the expansion of Northern Virginia Family Service’s (NVFS) Family Care Shelter, located at the SERVE campus in Manassas. The 4,000 square foot expansion will be a signature project for HomeAid in celebration of 10 years of service in Northern Virginia. The project also commemorates 35 years of commitment on the SERVE campus to help shelter and stabilize families in the Greater Prince William region. The project will increase shelter capacity from 60 to 92 beds, allowing NVFS to reach an additional 250 individuals a year.
HomeAid has partnered with K. Hovnanian Homes to be the Builder Captain for this expansion, which means they will contribute their time and talent to overseeing all of the work. Total project costs are estimated to be close to $1.2 million, much of that being donated through valuable partnerships that K. Hovnanian and HomeAid will leverage. In addition, the Freddie Mac Foundation has committed $400,000 to NVFS for the project along with individual donations and funding through Community Development Block Grants. The ongoing operations of SERVE are funded through a combination of local government support, individual contributions, foundations and state grants through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.
The expansion will include the addition of a family support wing designed for larger families and flexible living space. In addition, adequate computer, mentoring and child services areas will promote appropriate family structured time and environments for learning and development. There will also be ample meeting space to support small group interactions and counseling support through life skills training, job development, case management and housing search assistance.
“This expansion meets a critical need for emergency, short-term housing in the Prince William County area,” said John Monacci, Board President, HomeAid Northern Virginia and Senior Vice President, Winchester Homes. “Bringing together all of these resources and partners to undertake an expansion of this magnitude is what HomeAid does every single day. It’s all about providing homeless families and individuals with the opportunity to gain stability and to plan for their futures.”
“Each month SERVE has to turn away an average of 150 people in need of emergency shelter,” said Cheri Villa, Chief Operating Officer for NVFS. “Expanding the shelter is one more opportunity for NVFS to extend the impact of our services, and to provide the support necessary to move more families in Prince William County from homelessness to permanent housing.”
“K. Hovnanian and its associates are both honored and excited to be a part of this project,” said Peter R. Thompson, Landover Group President, K. Hovnanian Homes. “We look forward to working with HomeAid Northern Virginia and NVFS in expanding this much-needed facility in order to provide shelter to those in need in Prince William County.”
“The Freddie Mac Foundation is a long-time partner with NVFS and HomeAid. We are privileged to support their efforts to build a family-friendly wing for homeless children and their parents who need emergency shelter— and to help move these families to permanent housing,” said Ralph Boyd, Jr., President and CEO of Freddie Mac Foundation.
Media note: A Trade Partner Picnic will take place June 15, 3:00-5:00 pm at the SERVE shelter, 10056 Dean Drive, Manassas, VA 20110. Reporters are invited to attend and to interview those involved with this expansion. A Groundbreaking Ceremony will be scheduled in late July.
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HomeAid Northern Virginia leverages the resources of the homebuilding community and its corporate partners to conduct major renovations to homeless shelters, transitional houses and other facilities that help homeless people gain stability and a roof over their heads. HomeAid’s partners and resources help to significantly reduce the construction costs to care provider organizations, thereby allowing them to redirect those dollars back into programs and services for homeless families and individuals.