Linda Larimore, Steve Cutshall with St. Vincent de Paul board chair Anne O'Brien.
St. Vincent de Paul, Lane County photo
Given enough drops, a bucket slowly fills. So it is that in Lane County, more than three dozen veterans of military service and the streets have found that they can go home again.
Vet LIFT is a four-year-old partnership that combines the resources of the Veterans Administration with the housing expertise of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County and its state and local funding partners. A ceremony held last month near downtown Eugene marked the opening of the latest Vet LIFT project — a newly renovated apartment complex that adds 10 permanent affordable veteran homes plus meeting space, computer lab, and work space for staff.
Formally Vet LIFT III, the complex is within easy reach of Vet LIFT I with 11 units of permanent and four units of transitional housing, and Vet LIFT II with 13 units of transitional housing. The facilities comprise a neighborhood of veterans and families united by military experience, hard times and homelessness, and strengthened by each other and effective case management.
Typically, veterans learn about Vet LIFT at the Eugene Reintegration Center and indicate their interest by attending weekly support meetings, dedicating themselves to a clean and sober lifestyle, and working toward physical and mental stability. Once in housing, their goals vary according to the program but could include reconnecting with family, resolving legal and medical issues, attending school or becoming employed, and performing community service. Each veteran has his or her own champion in a Vet LIFT case manager. In Vet LIFT II, the transitional program, participants have two years to establish a foundation that equips them for permanent housing. Steve Cutshall, a Vietnam veteran, and his partner Linda Larimore are in that category.
Steve and his partner Linda were already homeless and in poor health in early 2008 when Steve suffered an aortic aneurism. They sought affordable senior housing, but none was available.
At the Eugene Reintegration Service Center they learned about Vet LIFT II. Someone was leaving so the process moved quickly.
“It was just amazing,” Linda remembered. “One day we were (living) in a van, and that same day we were in an apartment.”
Less than a year later Steve and Linda are in much-improved health. They are caught up on their bills and actually saving money.
“We are finally on our feet,” Linda said. “There’s a lot that goes into that.”
About 41 men and women are currently in Vet LIFT — half in permanent housing. In addition to achieving goals mentioned above, some are raising children. One was able to access surgery for a debilitating disorder. Another is dealing successfully with severe mental illness and fitting into the community.
Five veterans have graduated from transitional to permanent housing. One has accepted employment with the VA. Another started Hope for Our Heroes, a nonprofit that helps homeless veterans get into housing. Nearly all volunteer at Eugene-area social service agencies. More information about Vet LIFT is available at 541-687-5820 or visiting the www.svdp.us.
