It was my privilege and honour to represent the City of London at the unveiling of the Homes for Heroes project at Parkwood Hospital on July 30th. This project will see the creation of a 25 unit tiny homes village for Canadian Forces veterans who are struggling with mental health and homelessness challenges.  This is a project that means a great deal to me personally, having been involved with my Royal Canadian Legion branch and playing a small role in the first dedicated housing for veterans at Residenza Ortona in my first term on Council.  Homes for Heroes will help veterans with more complex needs than just housing affordability, with mandatory programs to help veterans deal with and heal from their challenges and move toward more stable independent housing in the future, as well as assisting them with accessing the federal benefits which they earned through Veterans Affairs Canada.

As announced in the Mayor’s State of the City address at the start of the year, the city has been working in collaboration with the other two levels of government, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, and the Homes for Heroes Foundation to turn this idea into reality. Now we are through the idea and planning phase and can begin getting shovels in the ground. Construction will begin this year, near the site where WWII veterans convalesced when they came home injured. Now, a new program of veterans care will begin there, with veterans moving in next year.

While their is government funding involved, Homes for Heroes does rely on donor supports as well, if you would like to make a contribution to this worthy cause you can do that at: https://homesforheroesfoundation.ca/donate/