
The organization was joined by political leaders, local partner organizations and hundreds of community members at the groundbreaking ceremony in Glendale.
Underneath the desert sun and surrounded by tremendous community support, Veterans Community Project broke ground on VCP of Glendale in Arizona last weekend as part of its mission to fix Veteran homelessness.
VCP of Glendale will include a Village of 50 free transitional housing units, ranging from 240 to 360 square feet, for Veterans experiencing homelessness and a Village Center building for staff and case managers to work with residents on individualized goals to gain permanent housing.
“Today is the testament that this community came together and stated, ‘We are not okay with Veteran homelessness,’” VCP Co-Founder and CEO Bryan Meyer said at the event.

The approximately $14 million project is launching with deep support, including $6.2 million in land and financial contributions from the City of Glendale, Maricopa County, and the State of Arizona. Notably, support for the nonpartisan organization is broad across party lines.
“Everything we do in state government affects the Veterans living [in Arizona],” Governor Katie Hobbs said at the groundbreaking. “Our Veterans face challenges when they come back home, and not having a safe place to live is something that compounds those challenges. VCP of Glendale will give them not only four walls and a roof, but a chance to rebuild their lives.”

Governor Hobbs, who said that being the daughter and granddaughter of Veterans is part of what motivated her pursuit of public office, added, “I have called on the legislature and elected leaders throughout the state to join me in supporting our Veterans and ensuring that we’re putting our money where our mouth is... and that no one who served our country is living on the street in Arizona.”
Hobbs was followed on stage by U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego, as well as U.S. Congressman Abraham Hamadeh, Arizona State Senator Analise Ortiz, Maricopa County District 4 Supervisor Debbie Lesko, and Brigadier General David Berkland of the nearby Luke Air Force Base.
Senator Gallego, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, spoke about how his Marine unit faced challenges with work, housing, and post-traumatic stress when transitioning to civilian life. He said that experience is part of why he supports the mission to fix Veteran homelessness and believes in the VCP model to do it.

Before grabbing a shovel and turning the ceremonial dirt with his 7-year-old son, who was among the crowd of well over 100 supporters, Gallego said, “Thank you, VCP, for believing in Arizona… you will save lives here.”
The groundbreaking has been in the works for more than two years since conversations started following Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers touring VCP of Kansas City as part of a national convention of city leaders. While emceeing the groundbreaking, VCP National Expansion President Jason Kander commended Weiers as a local champion with “dogged determination” to bring Veterans Community Project to Glendale.
Mayor Weiers, whose city council unanimously backed the project, said, “This community loves our Veterans, and we want to make a difference. During my trip [to Kansas City], we knew immediately that VCP had a success formula to help homeless Veterans with dignity.” After his remarks, he announced that his foundation Jerry’s Charities is providing a $100,000 contribution that is being matched by BHHS Legacy Foundation.

Veteran homelessness has long been a pervasive national problem and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates between 30,000 and 35,000 Veterans are experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States. Locally, HUD estimates 994 of those Veterans are in Arizona—with many of them in Phoenix or the West Valley.
VCP has proven to be a radically effective solution to this problem. Since welcoming the first residents in 2018, its model of free transitional housing and tailored on-site case management services has demonstrated an 85% success rate in helping Veterans go from experiencing homelessness to achieving permanent housing, typically in 12 to 18 months.

That model is made possible by the support of the community. And in Glendale, the community showed up in a big way at the groundbreaking.
Arizona Diamondbacks SVP Debbie Castaldo spoke about seeing the vacant future VCP of Glendale site on her daily commute and often wondering how it could be put to better use. Then, she turned the microphone over to Diamondbacks legend and World Series champion Luis Gonzalez to present a $250,000 contribution in partnership with Sanderson Ford to help build homes for Veterans.
"For my 17 years with the Diamondbacks, this property has been on my route home,” Castaldo said. “So, when VCP came to meet with our organization and showed us the map... I cried. On the spot, we said, ‘The Arizona Diamondbacks will be with you every step of the way to ensure that this gets done.’”

Gonzalez added, “It is an honor to be here among so many true heroes. I am here to say, ‘Thank you.’”
The project is located on around eight acres near 63rd and Grand avenues in Glendale adjacent to VFW Post 1433 Sandy Coor. The program began with a moment of silence for Post Commander Stephen Franklin, who was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident last month. Franklin supported the project from day one, and the groundbreaking crowd was full of fellow VFW members honoring him and supporting his passion.

VCP of Glendale is anticipated to be complete by 2027, with Veteran residents moving in as phases of units become available. Veterans Community Project is currently organizing a volunteer capital campaign fundraising committee and will begin hiring local staff as early as this year.
To conclude the groundbreaking event, Meyer of VCP said, “Right about nine years ago, a group of us got together and decided the programs out there for Veterans experiencing homelessness weren’t [cutting it]. We would sit around and talk but soon decided that we weren’t going to wait on somebody else. Then, with nothing more than a vision and the money in our bank accounts, we quit our full-time jobs and started going at it every day.”

The Marine Corps Veteran continued, “And it was seven years ago to this weekend that we opened the doors to welcome Veterans into the first round of VCP homes in Kansas City. It’s been incredible to go from that point to, now, six locations.”
Adding, in closing, “We had no idea that so many other people would share this mission to fix Veteran homelessness. And it means more than you will ever know. Thank you so much for being here.”
Are you interested in joining the mission? Learn more and get involved by visiting the VCP of Glendale webpage and following the project on Facebook.