Two Glendale projects provide affordable housing to veterans

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Two projects, one completed and another in progress, will provide 49 affordable housing units for veterans in Glendale.

It's been a welcome change in living conditions for six senior U.S. veterans who were able to move into one of the two new affordable housing projects in Glendale. The project will soon welcome many more vets.

One of the two projects, Veteran's Village, is a four-story complex that won't be finished for months.

"This place has really opened up to me, and I'm thankful for places like this. They do need to more for the veterans old and new," said veteran Kevin Sargent.

Sargent has spent his share of time on the streets. Now he's in an affordable studio in a refurbished building.

It's making life easier for disabled vets too.

"The accessibility is wonderful. I use Access to travel around, because right now I do not have a car. There's a Beeline that comes right by here. There's two RTD lines that come up and down Glendale," said veteran Thomas O'Shaughnessy.

Prospective tenants are already lining up.

"So far we just opened the Veteran's Village application process and so far we've got more than 100 applications just in the last couple of days," said Glendale Senior Housing Project Manager Mike Fortney.

Glendale officials say they are just doing what they can to meet an important need, and the vets appreciate it.

"I've got a fully ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-compliant (unit) that has a roll-in shower. It makes me wonder when I have to go somewhere for a meeting, if the hotel's going to be even half as good," said O'Shaughnessy.

An affordable, comfortable home can be a real challenge in Southern California, but for veterans in Glendale, help is now on the way.

Veteran's Village construction is in progress at 331 Salem Street in Glendale.