State Finances 77 More Homes for Homeless Veterans

ANNAPOLIS — Maryland has lined up the money to more than double a housing community for homeless veterans on the grounds of a Veterans Affairs hospital, adding 77 homes for veterans and their families.

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development closed financing for the second phase of HELP Perry Point Veterans Village in Perryville, Gov. Wes Moore announced Oct. 23. The department will administer more than $23 million for the project on the campus of the Perry Point VA Medical Center in Cecil County.

The homes are not built yet. The financing announcement clears the way for construction of the second phase, which the developer said will provide 77 apartments for veterans and families who have experienced homelessness.

Where the money comes from

The $23 million is not a single state grant. According to the governor’s office, it combines several sources administered by the department’s Community Development Administration:

• Equity from federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
• Money from the HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan Program.
• Bond financing.
• Energy-efficiency funding for a community supported mainly by solar power.

The release did not break down how much comes from each source.

“This investment will functionally double the number of homes at HELP Perry Point Veterans Village, expanding access to stable housing and supportive services for veterans and their families threatened by homelessness,” Moore said.

Building on the first phase

The village opened in 2018 with 75 renovated and newly built energy-efficient homes for at-risk and formerly homeless veterans, according to the housing department’s 2018 ribbon-cutting announcement. That phase used state bond financing, low-income housing tax credits and 75 project-based VA supportive housing vouchers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the VA.

The village offers permanent supportive housing, meaning residents get services along with a place to live. It sits on the VA Maryland Health Care System’s 400-acre Perry Point property where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay, giving residents access to VA medical care, case management, life skills training and mental health services.

HELP USA, a nonprofit founded as a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, New York, in 1986, sponsors the village. Its affiliate, HELP Development Corp., is the lead developer for the second phase. HELP USA operates more than 70 sites and programs nationwide.

“Housing is a human right. No one in Maryland should have to experience homelessness, especially our veterans who sacrificed for this country,” said Housing Secretary Jake Day.

Why it matters here

Perryville is about 120 miles from Lexington Park, but few parts of Maryland have more at stake in veterans’ services than Southern Maryland. St. Mary’s, Charles and Calvert rank first, second and third among Maryland counties for the share of residents who are veterans, according to a ranking based on 2023 Census Bureau estimates:

Together, the three Southern Maryland counties are home to more than 36,000 veterans, many tied to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Naval Support Facility Indian Head and the region’s defense contractors. St. Mary’s County is also home to the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, Maryland’s state-run home for veterans needing long-term care.

Perry Point’s housing is open to eligible veterans regardless of where in Maryland they come from, though the release did not describe how residents are referred or chosen. The governor’s office said the project is part of the state’s broader work on housing instability through the housing department’s Division of Homeless Solutions. Veterans who are homeless or at risk can reach the VA’s National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838.