Twenty-one homeless veterans in Reno will soon have a roof over their heads. Our News Director Michelle Billman has the story.
A few months ago, the apartments at 1560 Mill Street were close to uninhabitable.
"There were critters in places where critters shouldn't be. There were hypodermic needles in some of the carpeting. These are small, one bedroom units and there were at some places, two or three people living in them."
That's Murray Rosenthal, a philanthropist and the principal for Mountain Group Property Development, which bought the building and transformed it into affordable housing for homeless vets. The space now has furnished apartments and a shared community area where future tenants can meet with VA case managers to discuss their treatment plans.
Rosenthal says these veterans need more than just a home to reclaim their lives.
"Homelessness isn't just not having a place to sleep. It tears at the fabric of your self-esteem and how you view who you are as a person."
So far, about seven applicants have been approved and will move in later this month.
