Tucked on a hill in the back of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Rocky Hill campus, sits a newly refurbished building waiting for veterans to call home.
The latest expansion in the VA’s Patriots Landing Program adds six townhomes for veterans and their families, and another 14 apartments for single veterans.
The demand for these services is high, especially with another 100 Connecticut service members set to come home from deployment in the coming days, according to Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner, Brig. Gen. Ron Welch.
“On the darkest days of our veterans and family lives, in some cases, these facilities will provide hope for brighter days ahead, as our staff works really hard to develop a clear roadmap for independent living,” Welch said.
With the new building, Patriots Landing will have capacity for 170 single veterans and 17 veterans and their families.
The homes are designed to be temporary housing, where residents may live for one or two years, Welch said. Eligible veterans must’ve served actively in the military and either be unhoused or face the risk of becoming homeless.
Connecticut has the oldest veterans home and hospital in the country. It formed in 1864 in Darien after Civil War veterans returned home needing shelter and treatment, Welch said.
“At the time, a wealthy merchant named Benjamin Fitch saw a critical need to take care of returning physically and mentally injured Civil War soldiers and their families, and constructed the Fitch home,” Welch said. “Mr. Fitch's mission continues here today, and our mission is serving those who have served, and in Connecticut, that's over 146,000 veterans, plus a lot of family members.”
Residents must also take an active role in bettering their lives, according to VA Director of Residential Programs Renee Gorr.
“They have to be willing to work with our team of professionals, so social work, counseling, our vocational coordinator, we meet with them and develop their plan, their goal,” Gorr said.
Residents are given access to an array of services, Gorr said.
“They have to be willing to work with our team of professionals, so social work, counseling, our vocational coordinator,” Gorr said.
Vets living in the complex will pay 30% of their income in rent, which will go back into supporting VA programs, Gorr said.
“We do have a few applications already submitted,” Gorr said. “The families will come in, we will meet with them for the family side and discuss their goals, their plans.”
Residents are referred to the housing program through various local groups and local shelters, Gorr said. The application process to live in the apartments is open.
