Permanent Housing for Disabled Veterans

The ribbon-cutting with (from left to right) Exec. Dir. Cordell Walker, HUD's Leander, and State Commissioner of Veterans Affairs John Keys.

On a gloomy, rainy, Monday morning in early February it was all smiles for the presenters and guests at the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of Alpha Omega Veterans Services' 32 units of permanent housing for disabled veterans. On any given day in Memphis, at least one-third of the homeless adult men are veterans. Originally called Alpha Omega Faith Homes, this was the first non-profit agency specializing in services for homeless veterans in the nation in 1987. In 1988 Cordell Walker became the Executive Director and over the years he has established multiple supportive services, treatment, and housing programs for male and female veterans and their families. In the first year of operation, Alpha Omega generated approximately $80,000. Today, including the newly construction permanent housing facility, their balance sheet shows $3.8 million in assets and revenue.

Asked when did he decide to take on such a huge challenge as a multi-unit permanent housing structure, Walker says "eighteen years ago; the day I became Executive Director." But it wasn't until 2002 that the players came into place. With technical assistance from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, he was able to obtain a commitment of funding from the City of Memphis for $500,000, Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati for $575,140, Tennessee Housing Development Agency for $238,362, The Plough Foundation for $245,000 and from HUD $300,000.

At first Alpha Omega sought multifamily properties in need of rehab but as events unfolded they decided on two parcels of inner city, vacant land. The lots were overgrown, being used as dumps and a home to vagrants, drug users and the homeless. When it was purchased in May of 2003, Alpha Omega's real fight with bureaucracy began. They had uphill battles with the local land use board, code enforcement and even neighbors about the design. But Alpha Omega conquered and in February 2005 they held the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the 32 self-contained, furnished units. The vacant lots and $2.2 million in developmental cost can now be occupied by the no longer vagrants, the no longer drug users and no longer homeless.

On this same day, Memphis Field Office Director Yvonne Leander presented a ceremonial check to Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton and a representative for City of Memphis Mayor Willie W. Herenton and the non-profit agencies that make up the Memphis/Shelby County Continuum of Care for $5.3 million.

Remarks were given by Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, Memphis Housing and Community Development Director Robert Lipscomb, State Commissioner of Veterans Affairs John Keys, and Executive Director of Alpha Omega Veterans Services Cordell Walker. Memphis City Council Member Barbara Swearingen Holt and representatives from Senator Bill Frist (R-TN), Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-07-TN) and Congressman Harold Ford (D-09-TN) attended. A reception and tour of the new facility followed the program. Despite intermittent rain, some 150 individuals attended.