CARIBOU, Maine — Veteran groups across the state are creating permanent, self-sustaining housing for those who served in their nation’s military.
While state and federal governments often provide grants and funding for homeless veterans, these organizations want to build a sustainable solution which minimizes reliance on government assistance.
The ultimate goal is to raise enough money to build 300 cabins throughout the state. Homeless veterans will then be able to work on a nearby farm, which will pay for their living costs and provide them with enough money to get back on their feet.
“What we’re doing on sites throughout Maine is purchasing farms and working with vets who own farms,” said John DeVeau, president and CEO of United Veterans of Maine.
DeVeau is working with United Farmer Veterans of Maine to make this project a reality. They currently have a campaign called “Twenty-Two 2×4’s to Help Stop Veteran Suicide.”
“Let’s move from doing 22 pushups to buying 22 two by fours to build cottages on our veteran-owned farms in Maine to house our vets, give them jobs, and train them to start their own farm and feed their community,” according to the “about” section of the UVFM fundraiser website.
Roger Felix, commander of VFW Lister-Knowlton Post 9389 in Caribou, described the campaign succinctly. “Veterans are going to take care of veterans,” he said.
Currently, these vet groups are working with the Department of Labor to provide future veteran occupants the opportunity to earn a stipend while they learn to work on a farm and raise crops. The goal is to finish all the necessary paperwork as soon as possible, allowing homeless vets to move in immediately after the shelters are finished.
“This is a hand up,” said DeVeau “It’s not a hand out.”
The UVM president added that the environment will be somewhat similar to that of a military unit, offering veterans a familiar experience.
“When you break it down, it’s a civilian-ized model of a military unit,” said DeVeau, “and that’s what we want to get back to: something very familiar.”
“Our cabins are what we consider our barracks,” continued DeVeau, “and there are duties you will have. You have to maintain your room, assist with maintenance, be up and ready to go to work or counseling, on the job training, and so on. There are things in place that give an individual, who at one time felt hopeless, a mission again. By taking them from a shelter to the cabin, they will have a sense of knowing where they’re going to be. They’ll be sleeping in their own bed, cooking their own meals, and they’ll have a sense of purpose.”
Along with providing a familiar atmosphere, there will also be an emphasis on discipline, as a “one strike system” will be in place for occupants.
“The individuals who come in here are making the choice to abide by the policies and procedures of our system,” said DeVeau. “It’s no different than the military in that way.”
The self-sustaining and familiar nature of the program is expected to be successful with veterans who have lost their homes, and the fact that veterans are overseeing the process will place them in an environment with others who have had similar experiences and hardships.
“My PTSD is probably no different than somebody else’s,” DeVeau said. “There are variations. We don’t like loud noises surprising us, anxiety is always there, and we’ve lost a sense of worth because we came out of an area where our buddy’s life depended on us doing the right thing, to looking for five bucks so you can get food for the day.”
According to DeVeau, the UVM started working on the project when a veteran they knew became homeless, and they spent upwards of four months trying to get him out of the Presque Isle homeless shelter. Feeling that a third of a year is far too long for anyone to be living in a homeless shelter, they decided to get involved with the project, and are beginning to unite other veteran organizations in Aroostook County.
“Right now we’re focused on Aroostook County because of the agreement with UFVM,” DeVeau said. “They are taking care of the southern regions while our focus is up here, but we also work downstate when there is a need. We recently went down and helped build a home for a veteran who had land, but was homeless and living in a pallet shack.”
Once established, this program will be open to any individual who served in the United States military, regardless of which branch they joined.
“Any individual who raises their right and and writes a check to the U.S. government that says ‘up to my life,’ is a veteran,” DeVeau said. “National Guard are veterans to me, but there are other programs where they don’t qualify for because they didn’t serve in active combat. To me, that’s BS.”
Editor’s note: Though the homeless veterans program is primarily funded through community donations, UVFM and UVM have received assistance from a number of officials in the state and federal government. Those interested in contributing to the project can do so by visiting “United Veterans of Maine” or “United Farmer Veterans of America – Maine” on Facebook.
