SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The completion of a 15-year renovation project at a shelter for homeless veterans in the Midway District was celebrated Friday.
Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins and Mayor Kevin Faulconer were among the dignitaries who attended the dedication ceremony at Veterans Village of San Diego.
"When VVSD first began operating on Pacific Highway in 1990, our dream was to one day create a state-of-the-art facility to help veterans recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and emotional trauma," said Veterans Village President and CEO Phil Landis.
"Because of the generous financial support from committed partners and the hard work of hundreds of men and women, that goal has become reality," he said.
The upgrades include a new meeting hall, dental clinic and housing for female veterans.
"From helping veterans get off the street, training them for a job and all the steps in between, the Veterans Village campus helps the men and women who have served our country get back on their feet," Faulconer said.
"The city of San Diego has been a partner building this campus from the very beginning," Faulconer said. "It was an honor to celebrate the completion of a campus that serves veterans in a way that acknowledges the service they have given our nation."
A count of the region's homeless in January found that 15.4 percent had once served in the military, out of a total of more than 8,700 people living on the streets or in shelters.
