A8
REGIONAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
New housing gives veterans a brand-new home and a fresh start
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — For
local veterans, a new hous-
ing area in La Grande off ers
a chance for a clean slate.
Veteran’s Village Union
County, a micro-neighbor-
hood of cottage-style homes,
opened its doors to several
veterans in need of hous-
ing Wednesday, Nov. 3. The
new homes provide home-
less or low-income veter-
ans with a safe, communi-
ty-style living environment.
“This is my savior here,
this place,” local Army vet-
eran Dennis Scudder said.
“It’s a new place and a
brand-new start.”
The village, on the cor-
ner of Russell Avenue and
North Pine Street, features
small fully furnished homes.
Each unit includes a bed-
room, living room, ameni-
ties and a fenced backyard.
The fi rst three units are com-
pleted and have new occu-
pants, while construction on
the remaining seven houses
is still wrapping up.
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Workers put on the fi nishing touches for the cottage-style homes at Veteran’s Village Union County on Russell Avenue in La
Grande on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. The aff ordable housing project is nearing completion and residents are beginning to move in.
Creating a community
Gust Tsiatsos, owner of
GCT Land Management,
spearheaded the project after
seeing a need for aff ordable
housing in La Grande. The
project involves Veterans
Aff airs, which fi nds veter-
ans who meet the guidelines
to live in the village, and
Northeast Oregon Housing
Authority is set to manage
the property.
“The need was sub-
stantial after we did some
research on what that need
really looks like,” Tsiatsos
said. “We just tried to cre-
ate a community feel where
they would be living with
similar types of folks.”
Brian Blais, the Veter-
ans Services Offi cer at the
Center for Human Devel-
opment, conducts the gen-
eral screening process and
worked closely with Tsiatsos
in the planning process. He
emphasized that there is a
major need for aid to home-
less veterans.
“The housing shortage
isn’t a veteran-specifi c prob-
lem by any means, but it is
estimated that there are over
1,300 homeless veterans
in Oregon, and I am hon-
ored to be able to support
my brothers and sisters who
served our country,” Blais
said. “Working with Gust
has been an amazing experi-
ence, and I look forward to
continuing the work that we
do.”
The project is roughly
75% grant funded, accord-
ing to Tsiatsos. The bulk of
that funding came from Ore-
gon Housing and Commu-
nity Services. Tsiatsos noted
that there is specifi c grant
funding for veterans in rural
areas, which helped the Vet-
eran’s Village Union County
score very well in the grant
application process.
A major goal of the hous-
ing project is to foster a
community of individu-
als with similar life experi-
ences. Tsiatsos said the setup
of the village allows the vet-
erans to be as social as they
would like, or have privacy
if that is preferred.
“We have learned that
this population of people has
an interest in being in a more
private setting and more of a
closed community,” he said.
“We situated all the houses
facing in and put up a pri-
vate fence around it. We’re
hoping that a small, con-
trolled space will be good
for that demographic.”
Save 50% on heating
costs this winter
with Rinnai Propane Heaters!*
Heaters and other HVAC Parts & Services
not just propane! *Addtional rebates up to $100 apply
.
East Hwy 82
Ed Staub & Sons Enterprise, OR 201
• 541-426-0320
Energy Community Service.
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Dennis Scudder, an Army veteran, looks over his new
neighborhood in La Grande on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021.
Scudder bounced between temporary housing solutions
before moving into Veteran’s Village Union County, a new
community of cottage-style homes.
Upon moving into his
new home, Scudder echoed
Tsiatsos’ sentiment.
“I am looking for a clean
and sober place,” Scudder
said. “Us veterans here try
to stick together. There are
a lot of veterans, including
myself, that have issues.”
The Army veteran said
he deals with PTSD and
fi nds that being around
other like-minded individu-
als is a major positive. The
U.S. Department of Veterans
Aff airs estimates that any-
where from 10% to 20% of
all veterans live with PTSD.
A long-term home
Scudder was homeless
prior to moving into Veter-
an’s Village Union County,
and he said there are many
other veterans struggling.
Scudder emphasized that
the village gives a fresh start
to veterans who need a safe
and reliable place to live.
“No drugs or anything
are allowed. This is the per-
fect environment,” he said.
“I’m not a people person.
My issues are more of a per-
sonal matter. Being around
other veterans will be nice.
I couldn’t ask for more. I’m
so happy.”
Tsiatsos noted that a vital
part of the project is to create
permanent housing instead
of a temporary stay.
“We wanted it to be a
place someone could call
home for 20 years,” he said.
“We’re hoping to create an
environment where people
will live long term.”
Scudder found out about
the veterans village through
his VA social worker, Angel
Smith. Through a program
called HUD-VASH, vet-
erans go through a screen-
ing process similar to the
Section 8 housing process.
The program guides veter-
ans in need of rental assis-
tance who have experienced
homelessness.
The housing authority
does the fi nancial screen-
ing and background checks,
while Smith provides ongo-
ing case management, drug
and alcohol counseling and
any other services the veter-
ans may need for at least a
year after fi nding a new res-
idence. The aim is to make
sure the veterans are able to
stay successfully housed.
“It really is a great pro-
gram for veterans,” Smith
said.
The HUD-VASH pro-
gram bases rental rates
on gross monthly income
adjusted according to the
individual’s needs, includ-
ing obstacles such as men-
tal health, drug and alco-
hol abuse or physical
disabilities.
For the soon-to-be 10 vet-
erans residing in the village,
the opportunity for commu-
nity and camaraderie will be
a key feature of daily life.
The community center at the
front of the village will pro-
vide a shared space where
the residents can mingle if
they choose.
“It helps promote an
environment where veter-
ans can help each other out,”
Blais said.
Scudder is looking for-
ward to playing pool and
hanging out in the commu-
nity center, where the veter-
ans in the village can meet
up and socialize.
“For a lot of the veterans
that have sobriety issues,
you don’t have to go out to
the bar to play some pool.
You can stay right here,”
Scudder said.
Gold standard
Tsiatsos said he thinks
Veteran’s Village Union
County is a model that
other communities can mir-
ror to alleviate veteran
homelessness.
“We’re hoping that
maybe other communities
will come see this and try
to model a similar design.
It doesn’t have to be perma-
nent, but I think permanent
housing is more rare than
transitional, so to me there’s
more value to a community
there,” Tsiatsos said. “I think
once people see that and see
that the livability is sustain-
able, then it might be some-
thing other communities
will want to do.”
Having been homeless
himself and knowing many
veterans who face similar
issues, Scudder emphasized
that communities like Veter-
an’s Village Union County
can be life changing.
“I feel like a whole per-
son again,” Scudder said. “I
can’t tell you how excited
and thrilled I feel.”
GCT Land Management
is in the process of creat-
ing another veterans village
in Baker City, which will
include nine one-bedroom
homes and three two-bed-
room homes.
The city of La Grande
and the planning commis-
sion adopted a code change
in 2018 that allowed for the
construction of cottage-style
homes and small dwelling
units. Tsiatsos was the fi rst
to make major plans after
the code change, bringing
the veterans village to life.
“It’s one of those things
Gust became more and
more passionate about and
got a lot of folks behind
it,” La Grande Commu-
nity Development Direc-
tor Mike Boquist said. “The
city is very supportive of his
project.”
Boquist noted that the
village helps mitigate the
need for aff ordable housing
in La Grande, especially for
those who are semi-home-
less or on the verge of
homelessness.
“I think it’s a good start,”
Boquist said. “Hopefully
other people will see this
and take advantage of it.
It doesn’t necessarily have
to be for the same housing
market or clientele.”
Smith also would like
Union County Veteran’s Vil-
lage to set a precedent for
what can be done to create
aff ordable housing.
“We’re working with the
state to kind of make this
the gold standard,” she said.
“It’s spreading and there is
a lot of interest in the state
in places like this. It’s really
exciting.”
A new beginning
For Scudder and the
future veteran tenants of the
village, the micro-neigh-
borhood provides an essen-
tial piece in getting back on
one’s feet — a place to call
home.
With the goal of creat-
ing a model to help vet-
eran homelessness around
the state, Tsiatsos has spo-
ken with other communities
about similar possibilities.
“Most of the communi-
ties now have the cottage
home ordinance in place,
so they can bring that den-
sity into their communi-
ties because housing is in
such short supply across the
nation right now,” he said.
“Being able to fi nd some-
thing like this that’s per-
manent isn’t always readily
available.”
GCT Land Management
is undertaking a tiny home
initiative, which will send
supplies necessary to create
cottage-style homes in other
communities that model
Veteran’s Village Union
County. The aff ordability
can benefi t not just veter-
ans, but anyone in need of
housing.
At La Grande’s newest
neighborhood, hopes are
high for the future of the vil-
lage and its residents.
“I’m really happy with
the place,” Scudder said. “I
wish they would do this for
more people. It’s great.”
BARGAINS
OF THE
MONTH ®
While supplies last.
SAVE
49.99
6 ft. Deluxe
Folding Table
17
$
30 in. x 72 in. polyethylene top.
Powder coated steel frame. Lightweight
and easy to carry. Indoor and outdoor use.
W 682 536 1
M-F 8AM-5:30PM • SAT 8AM-5PM • SUN 9AM-3PM
Hurricane Creek Road
Enterprise, Oregon
541-426-3116
Sale Good Nov. 1st - 30th