A $390,000 grant will help house 10 homeless veterans who are dealing with substance abuse and mental health issues.
The Helen Ross McNabb Center received the Housing Trust Fund grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency on Tuesday.
The grant money will be used together with an $800,000 Community Development Block Grant from Knox County and over $59,000 from the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation to build 10 new supportive housing units for veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless, according to THDA.
The new apartments will be built on Middlebrook Pike on the campus of the Helen Ross McNabb Military Services Center.
Helen Ross McNabb said the housing project will specifically target veterans dealing with substance abuse and mental health issues. The grant will provide apartments for 10 veterans.
Jerry Vegenier, CEO of Helen Ross McNabb, said the goal is to help the veterans in the community stay healthy and safe.
"Veterans helping veterans is a great concept. We just want to come alongside and amplify and help them be healthy and live well," Vagenier said.
He said the center is excited to provide veterans who are at risk for homelessness with supportive housing for as long as they need it.
Helen Ross McNabb is also planning to use the funds to demolish an unused halfway house on the Military Services campus.