Freedom’s Path Waco
Freedom’s Path Waco is located on the Doris Miller VA Medical Center Campus. It includes two components - the adaptive re-use and historic renovation of three existing buildings to generate 26 studio units and a new building with 8 studio units designated for the mobility and sensory impaired, a large community room, technology center, laundry and fitness rooms. A leasing preference will be provided to Veterans who are homeless or near homeless.
Freedom’s Path Waco is a public-private partnership utilizing an Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) provided by the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a Veteran-centric, permanent-supportive housing community in proximity to VA services and programs. This structure allows the VA to repurpose underutilized property through leasing arrangements with private sector entities to address Veteran homelessness. According to the 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, Texas had 2,036 homeless Veterans. This housing, coupled with other VA initiatives, will reduce the overall number of homeless Veterans, toward the goal of having no Veteran endure the trauma of homelessness.
Financing consists of Historic Tax Credits, 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits, a $ 2.85 M VA Capital Contribution funded from the PACT Act , Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas AHP funding through Texas Capital Bank, a loan from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, a forgivable loan from the City of Waco, a grant from the Home Depot Foundation, and a pre-development loan from BlueHub Capital. The Enterprise Community Loan Fund is the construction lender. Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments and Cabretta Capital are providing the tax credit equity. The Waco Housing Authority will provide Project Based HUD-VASH and Section 8 vouchers.
Solutions for Veterans
Solutions for Veterans, an Atlanta, Georgia, based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, serves as the lead service provider for Freedom’s Path communities and augments the comprehensive array of medical and psychiatric services for Veterans provided by the VA Medical Centers where Freedom’s Path developments are located.
Solutions for Veterans and Communities for Veterans have developed 10 similar Freedom’s Path communities across the U.S. providing supportive housing for 501 formerly homeless, senior and disabled veterans to date. There are 163 units in development. This Waco development will be the 11th, with upcoming developments in Augusta, Georgia and Kerrville, Texas. When all are completed, the total units will be 664.
Craig Taylor, President, Solutions for Veterans
September 2023
Our Team
Wellington Waco USA, LP is the Owner and Developer, an entity comprised of Solutions for Veterans, the Wellington Development Company, Munger Development, Garrison for Veterans, and the Shenandoah Group. The EStudio Group out of Houston is the Architect, Cortland Build based in Dallas is the General Contractor and the Waco Housing Authority will be the Property Manager.
The Stan C. Parker Foundation has been the local catalyst behind the development and will provide services and operating support beyond the VA, along with the local Veterans One Stop Program.
The City of Waco has embraced this project and its goals, demonstrated in part by the contribution of $550,000 in HOME-ARPA funds. The City is also enabling this project to move forward with waivers of certain development and operating costs.
The Housing Selection Process
The resident population will be drawn primarily from Veterans who are being treated at the Doris Miller VA Medical Center as a transition from in-patient treatment programs to an out-patient locally housed situation. Further, Veterans reporting to the medical center or other agencies in the Waco area as homeless or near homeless will be sent for approval, either through the HUD-VASH or Section 8 programs. The VA Medical Center, the Veterans One Stop program and the Waco Housing Authority will be the primary loci of identification of Veterans who would need and benefit from the housing.
When completed, the project will be managed by the Waco Housing Authority with compliance oversight (given multiple federal and state compliance requirements) provided through a third party consulting agency.
The project is 100% supported with Section 8 and HUD-VASH vouchers. As noted above, the housing will include a preference for Veterans. Any Veterans with a HUD-VASH Housing Choice Voucher will be given a Housing First preference, meaning that typical underwriting that might preclude the Veteran from being able to access standard rental housing (e.g. job history, criminal record, prior rental history) will be relaxed. The criterion for admission will be predicated on their selection for a Voucher by the administering public housing authority--the Waco Housing Authority.
It has been shown that Veterans living with other Veterans, in proximity to the panoply of VA services that are available to them via immediate access to the VA Medical Center that an on-campus housing option affords to them, has a remarkable success rate regarding remaining in permanent housing and moving forward with education, employment and life enrichment activities. This is the model of housing and services, both VA and non-VA provided, that is being emulated here.
Site of the New Building
