From left to right: Winchendon Selectboard Chair Andrew Beauvais, State Representative Jon Zlotnik, Winchendon Town Manger Bill McKinney, Valley Affordable Housing Executive Director Jeff Swanson, MVOC Executive Director Stephanie Marchetti, EOHLC Secretary Ed Augustus, EOVS Deputy Secretary Andrea Gayle-Bennett, State Representative Joe McGonagle
Winchendon, MA — The Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) joined local, state, and federal partners today to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center’s (MVOC) new veteran housing project. The event marks MVOC’s official closeout on financing and the start of development for 44 affordable homes for veterans in Massachusetts.
As part of Governor Healey’s End Veteran Homelessness (EVH) campaign, EOVS partnered with HLC to dedicate $13 million in capital funding to support new veteran housing across the state. MVOC received $3 million from EOVS and $7.5 million from HLC. These investments allowed MVOC to secure full financing for the project and begin redevelopment of the Streeter and Poland school buildings after six years of planning.
“Today’s groundbreaking shows what is possible when we work together to deliver results for veterans,” said Governor Maura Healey. Our administration is investing in communities across Massachusetts, so every veteran can access a safe home and the support they deserve. I am grateful to the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center and our state and local partners for advancing this important project.”
“We invest in housing because stable homes save lives,” said Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago. “This project moves our work forward and brings us closer to a Commonwealth where no veteran experiences homelessness. I am grateful to the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center and our partners for turning this vision into real homes for veterans.”
“Every veteran deserves more than our gratitude, they deserve a safe and stable home,” said Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “By turning these historic school buildings into 44 affordable apartments, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is taking significant steps toward a future where no veteran is homeless in Massachusetts. When we repurpose buildings like the Streeter and Poland schools, we save a piece of local history and turn the lights back on in places that have long anchored this community — all while creating permanent homes and on-site support that help veterans thrive.”
MVOC President and Founder Cathy McWilliams
Spoke MVOC President and Founder Cathy McWilliams “On Feb.21st 1981 my husband Jesses Stallings, a US Army Veteran of the Viet Nam war ,after years of suffering from PTSD took his own life. I was determined to give meaning to his life and death. I felt if even one Vet could be prevented from choosing that path then his death was not in vain. In 1982 the state of Massachusetts gave us the first funding of $25,000 dollars and that was the beginning of MVOC. And to this day that funding and then some has continued. Currently MVOC has 5 places of residence for our Veterans to lay their heads at night .The completion of this project in approximately 18 months will be a tremendous source of pride for MVOC, but more importantly 44 more Veterans will have a state of the art facility to proudly call home!”
MVOC Executive Director Dr. Stephanie Marchetti
“This project reflects six years of planning and a deep commitment to our veterans,” said Dr. Stephanie Marchetti, Executive Director, Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center. “These new homes will provide stability, dignity, and a sense of belonging. We thank our state partners, our federal delegation, and our community supporters for helping us reach this milestone.” She wrapped up the event by sharing “as always, we thank our veterans- I am continuously pushed and motivated by each of you to dedicate my time in service to others. I hope that through this work you can see how valued you are, how deeply so many people care about you, and how committed we are to providing you with the safe, comfortable, and peaceful life you deserve. Thank you, genuinely, for the inspiration you provide to us all.”
The renovated Streeter building will include 17 one-bedroom units, and the renovated Poland building will include seven one-bedroom units. MVOC will construct 20 additional units through new additions that join the two buildings, bringing the total to 44 homes. Units will range from 470 to 690 square feet. Site improvements include a new entry drive, new sidewalks along Murdock Avenue and Oak Street, walkways throughout the property, new plantings, and upgraded exterior lighting. These improvements will support a safe, walkable, and welcoming residential community for veterans. The site will include accessible units, community gathering areas, outdoor recreation spaces, and on-site supportive services. MVOC will provide case management, mental health counseling, transportation, benefits advisement, and connections to food, clothing, and veteran support programs for all residents.
MVOC Board Treasurer Veteran Bob Anderson, MVOC veteran Paul Cormier, and MVOC Board Vice President Dan Piper
Today’s groundbreaking is a major milestone in the Healey Driscoll administration’s End Veteran Homelessness campaign. Over the past year and a half, this coordinated effort has:
- Housed more than one thousand veterans;
- Reduced unsheltered veteran homelessness by more than 25 percent;
- Strengthened partnerships with local governments and nonprofit providers;
- Increased access to supportive services and community outreach;
The MVOC project is one of the largest community-based developments supported through the End Veteran Homelessness campaign. With 44 new homes for veterans, this project builds on several groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings completed across the state this year and demonstrates the ongoing collaboration between state and local partners to bring new veteran housing online.
