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Transitional housing for veterans to open next week

The World - 3/22/2019

March 21-- Mar. 21--NORTH BEND -- Homeless veterans now have a place to land as new transitional housing opens near the American Legion Building in North Bend.

The idea for the housing originated from Matthew Hays, who was a case manager with Oregon Coast Community Action at the time. ORCCA's interim essential services operations director, Jeremy Matsui, explained that the goal was to fill a great need in the community by getting veterans off the streets and into stable housing.

"This allows there to be a resource, one we set up with Patrick Wright from Operation Rebuild Hope," Matsui said. "I'm excited about the relationship and glad they stepped up. That's the biggest piece."

Also helping with the project is Habitat for Humanity, McCormick & Son Construction, and Knutson's Carpet Hut.

"This project started five months ago," Matsui said. "The funding we had at the time was slow motion, so it was their willingness to help that got it moving."

For Wright, as he and Matsui stood in the lobby of the run-down apartment building in North Bend, he was amazed that the project was finally happening. Even though ORCCA and Operation Rebuild Hope, a non-profit that assists veterans in need, have partnered for three years and housed numerous veterans between them, this new transitional housing is a vital addition to help even more people.

"We know there were some issues ORCCA was working through to make this happen and (McCormick and Son Construction) came in on it at the right time," Wright said. "Rather than ORCCA still stressing about this building, we said give us the keys and we were surprised when they said 'yes.'"

Founder and owner of McCormick & Son Construction, Dane McCormick, said he got involved because he has his own difficult past and wanted to give back.

"I've had my fair share of lumps and bumps," he said. "With my success, I feel the need to give back to this community. It takes people taking action for more to follow suit and I feel the need to be one of those people."

He is providing his company's time and talent for free to make the two-bedroom apartment livable. As it is, the apartment is still original to when the building was constructed back in the '50s or '60s.

"The carpet and walls are in rough shape," McCormick said. "The windowsills need replacement. ORCCA wants to rehab all of the units one-by-one. This apartment will eventually be up for remodel, but at this time we are going to get it habitable."

Work on the apartment starts now and the first veteran to move in will be able to do so as soon as next Monday.

The idea for the project started five months ago and to see it happen now is exciting for Krystal Hopper, co-lead for South Coast Veteran's Assistance Network.

"We've had a need for this for a long time," she said. "I'm personally contacted on a regular basis with vets who are already homeless or will become homeless. Bryan's Home is a big deal and greatly needed, but this is right now and it's giving a vet a roof over his head."

The veteran moving in on Monday is Michael Ganong, 31, who said he has been on and off homeless since he was a kid and joined the U.S. Army as a way to find a family.

But after his service ended after two years, he found himself homeless again and struggled ever since. Seeing these community leaders work so hard to help him, Ganong says he is inspired to eventually join their ranks and help others in need.

"Growing up the way I did, I met a lot of therapists who were just there for the paycheck," he said. "I want to be the person I needed growing up and meeting people who are, helping each other, is perfect."

For Wright, he underlined that everything Operation Rebuild Hope does is because it is needed in the community.

"The ADA rooms at Bryan's Home are because we had to house veterans in wheelchairs who were living in a hotel," he said. "We will have family living space there too because there are veterans and their families living in cars. It's all a need in this community and this isn't someone else's problem to solve."

Reporter Jillian Ward can be reached at 541-269-1222, ext. 235, or by email at jillian.ward@theworldlink.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JE_Wardwriter.

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