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NORTH CHARLESTON — The doors of a hotel off Ashley Phosphate Road have closed to visitors for good, but an extensive renovation under new ownership will transform it into a place 90 veterans can call home. The New York-based nonprofit Tunnel to Towers Foundation held a groundbreaking Oct. 30 to signal the next phase of its campaign to end veteran homelessness with Veteran Villages: permanent affordable housing sites with 24/7 onsite supportive services.
A prototype village opened in Houston last year. A 161-room hotel was converted into housing for 131 veterans, with a resource center on the first floor that connects them with behavioral health specialists, case managers, employment and other services. Today's Top Headlines Story continues below Pilot error caused missing F-35 jet and ejection over North Charleston, investigation finds Why is International Paper closing its Georgetown mill? Here's what the CEO said.
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It is not a shelter or transitional site; each veteran will have their own apartment, said Gavin Naples, vice president of the nonprofit's Homeless Veteran Program. “This is permanent affordable housing for veterans,” Naples said. “It’s not enough to provide a roof over a veteran’s head if they’re struggling with other challenges.
You have to help them address the root causes and provide a pathway to rehabilitation and reintegration back into the community.” Tunnel to Towers leadership wants to replicate efforts to convert hotels into residential units in major cities across the country. The foundation purchased the Comfort Suites for $11.
6 million , with plans for a multi-million-dollar renovation to convert the hotel into apartments. Each room needs to be retrofitted with a small kitchenette. The first floor of the hotel, which once contained a lobby, meeting space, pool, lounges and rooms, will be gutted to create a multi-purpose room, gym, free clothing closet and supportive services center.
Case managers can connect the veteran with behavioral health and entitlement specialists, housing and employment coordinators and whatever else they might need. The nonprofit has been acquiring properties nationally in cities where they see enough demand, larger populations of veterans and community services that specialize in helping veterans. A rendering shows the vision veteran nonprofit Tunnel to Towers has for the North Charleston hotel it recently purchased off Ashley Phosphate Road.
The strategy is simple. Underutilized hotel properties that can be renovated are transformed into permanent efficiency apartments where veterans can have their own space and stay as long as they’d like. Some hotel sites for Veteran Villages are being razed to start fresh.
A display room is shown to the public during a press conference Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in North Charleston. Tunnel to Towers in a veteran nonprofit that is turning hotels into apartments to end veteran homelessness.
The veteran pays rent that is never more than 30 percent of their income or more than the affordable housing designation of the location. Pets are not allowed, but service dogs are. Veterans interested in applying for financial assistance or a room can visit the Tunnel to Towers website .
Naples said that while there are many federally funded transitional housing programs, the uncertainty veterans feel knowing the roof over their head is temporary, or secure only until funding runs out, adds to their ongoing stress and challenges. While the end-goal of the facility is to reintegrate veterans facing housing instability into the community, Naples said the foundation knows that that looks different for each individual. “We hope they find their place in the community,” Naples said.
A rendering shows the transformation one North Charleston hotel is about to undergo to become a "Veteran Village" under its new owner the Tower to Tunnels Foundation. And some already have. Naples said the successful launch of its first Veterans Village in Texas has leaders of the nonprofit feeling optimistic about the other projects in the pipeline.
Partnerships with ancillary organizations play a large role, making possible events that spark comradery and engagement, like fishing trips and barbecue contests. Naples urged supporters at the recent local event to volunteer and be involved once the North Charleston center opens. While the foundation wants to see each abled veteran reintegrate with their families, build careers and go on to buy their own homes, Naples said that is not everyone's reality.
“Some are going to struggle more with reintegration, based on their age, mental or physical health. So if at the most, we can be a place of comfort for someone to live out their golden years in dignity, that’s another success story.” The site of the former Comfort Suites will be used to house veterans after a ground breaking Tunnel to Towers Wednesday, Oct.
30, 2024, in North Charleston. Tunnel to Towers in a veteran nonprofit that is turning hotels into apartments to end veteran homelessness. The national nonprofit provides housing to veterans and fallen first responder families in several ways, like paying off mortgages, offering financial assistance or building handicap-accessible homes.
Purchasing hotels to convert into permanent apartments for veterans is a new model that the leadership has heavily invested in. The nonprofit was launched after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in honor of founder Frank Siller's brother, Stephen — an off-duty firefighter who died trying to save lives when the Twin Towers collapsed.
After being stuck in the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, he ran on foot carrying his gear to the World Trade Center. Over the years, it has grown into nearly a $500 million organization and one of the highest-ranked charities in the country, earmarking 95 cents of every dollar directly to its programs. It earned a top four-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator.
Brad Blakeman Tunnel to Towers board member speaks during a press conference Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in North Charleston. Tunnel to Towers in a veteran nonprofit that is turning hotels into apartments to end veteran homelessness.
Between its national case management network and the first Veteran Village opening, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has provided housing assistance and access to supportive services to over 6,500 veterans this year and more than 10,000 since the program's inception two years ago. Bill and Sue Pillard, Summerville residents, have been a Gold Star Family for the last 21 years. Their son Sgt.
Justin Pillard died in Iraq in 2003, just months before his deployment was scheduled to end. They said they’ve been supporters of the foundation since their son's death and believe if he were still alive he’d be eager to be part of this project, too. Sue Pollard and her husband Bill Pollard receive flowers as recognition for being a gold star family after losing their son while serving during the Tunnel to Towers press conference Wednesday, Oct.
30, 2024, in North Charleston. Tunnel to Towers in a veteran nonprofit that is turning hotels into apartments to end veteran homelessness. "Some gave all, but all gave some,” Bill Pillard said after the groundbreaking event, adjusting his ball cap with the same phrase.
“Veterans need our help. They served, and this is how we can serve them." He said he wears the hat to honor both his sons — the one he lost and the one who came home.
Medal of Honor nonprofit sheds light on progress for its Patriots Point leadership center It's not clear exactly how many veterans are homeless or who face housing instability in South Carolina. The federal government measures homelessness by a single-day count across a network of service providers. In 2023, 4,053 people were counted as homeless in South Carolina, of which 393 reported veteran status, according to the U.
S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, these counts do not capture those experiencing homelessness who did not seek out services that day, who are couch surfing or living in their cars, who are staying with family, or who are off the grid.
The S.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness reported the number of veterans seeking homeless services last year was nearly five times higher than the single-day count.
The new facility will be close to several key Veterans Affairs facilities, like the VA Charleston Healthcare System. The agency's community resource and referral center at 2424 City Hall Lane is not only a place where veterans can do their laundry and take a shower, it also is an access point to connect them with VA assistance. The VA offers a range of case management programs to help veterans with some of the underlying factors that can lead to homelessness and erect barriers that keep people feeling stuck.
Circumstances like one's physical and mental health, financial security, transportation options, employment status, addictions and legal matters can make an individual more vulnerable to housing instability, said Virginia Villeponteaux, acting Chief of Mental Health for VA Charleston Healthcare System. Now booking: 2 North Charleston hotels near Tanger Outlets set 2025 opening date There are 390 approved HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers in the hands of veterans across Charleston area. Currently, only 296 have secured housing.
The Charleston-area VA outpost has also funded 85 temporary housing beds. Villeponteaux said demand outweighs the current supply of affordable housing in the Charleston area, and that can be a barrier to those trying to use their voucher. One of the biggest challenges is enrolling veterans in the VA system so case managers can educate them on what resources are available.
Annual events like Stand Down don't only connect homeless vets with supplies, medical care and services like haircuts; they are a way to bring new veterans into the VA system. Naples said when Tunnel to Towers was doing its market research and talking with organizations across the Charleston area, the dire need for permanent affordable housing was a recurring topic. “This is not a problem that is specific to veterans, but they are statistically more at risk,” Naples said.
“We cannot solve homelessness overnight. But we can make sure veterans are not backsliding into homelessness. Cookie-cutter approaches don’t fit everyone’s needs.
” Several members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 34-4 attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Veteran member Bob Mercer said the chapter gathers to feed 70 homeless veterans on the first Saturday of every month. North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess speaks during a press conference Wednesday, Oct.
30, 2024, in North Charleston. Tunnel to Towers in a veteran nonprofit that is turning hotels into apartments to end veteran homelessness. “We’d love to see some of those people in that situation benefit from this place,” Mercer said.
Bill and Julie Neira, co-founders of local nonprofit Warrior Haven, said the lack of affordable housing is a big stressor for veterans. But even after they have a place to call home, the work doesn’t stop. Both the motorcycle chapter and Warrior Haven volunteer to help veterans with chores, errands and other day-to-day needs.
The S.C. Department of Veteran Affairs introduced a homeless veteran transitional grant in July to provide financial help to veterans who need to make a missed mortgage payment, leave a security deposit or keep the utilities on.
To date, more than $2.5 million has been dispersed through 12 organizations. Alexis Spry with the SCDVA said when a veteran falls on hard times, especially during or after transitioning out of the military, financial assistance can put them back on their feet.
North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess stood before a crowd of veterans and nonprofit supporters outside the former hotel on Oct. 30 to thank Tunnel to Towers for “stepping up to be the keeper of our brothers and sisters.” “When I see veterans sleeping under bridges .
.. outside in all types of elements, sitting on the sidewalk or by a bus stop — that's not right,” Burgess said.
“North Charleston is a military town, so if any town should be the light to show others the way it should be, it’s North Charleston.”.
