Central MN Habitat for Humanity Creates Veterans Build Project

ST. CLOUD -- A house dedicated to someone who is currently serving or has served in the United States Armed Forces is being built by Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity.

The organization is in the process of building a home for a veteran and their family. Richard Nelson is Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity's Executive Director.  He says they created this build because they saw a housing need for veterans in the area.

"The need is great. Obviously, the income is fairly low, these are people that need, like other folks in our community, a place to live, a respectable place to live, a decent place to live. And that's our forte, that's what we know how to do."

Nelson says their goal is to make the Veterans Build a regular, reoccurring project as well as a way to get more veterans to volunteer.

"As we work with churches, businesses and other corporate sponsors to make this possible and some foundation grants, we will get this done and hopefully create some inertia for it in the community. It won't only be a home for a veteran but we hope to engage the veteran's community in actually building the home."

So far, Nelson says through grants and fundraising they have the needed funding to start the build. Their next step is finding a location for the home.

"We like to identify the parcel of property, we'll probably do that soon, within the next couple of weeks, we have several to choose from. We believe we'll choose one here in St. Cloud. The family could come from any of the four counties, (Stearns, Benton, Sherburne or Wright) could be a resident of any of the four counties. So we are trying to get the word out, our application period is open and it's open through July."

Applications can be found online, if you're interested, follow the link below.

If all goes according to plan, Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity would like to get the building process started this fall or earlier.