The Veterans Collective Announces $188M Capital Campaign and Historic Gift for Veteran Housing

May 26, 2022

The Veterans Collective (TVC) – a partnership of Century Housing, Thomas Safran & Associates, and U.S.VETS, and supported by the 1887 Fund, is leading the charge to transform the historic West Los Angeles VA North Campus into America’s largest supportive housing community for homeless and at-risk Veterans.

To raise the funds necessary to restore the land and a promise to America’s Veterans, The Veterans Collective has launched the Veterans Promise Campaign, with a significant leadership gift from nonprofit Tunnel to Towers Foundation to U.S.VETS for the development of housing on the West LA VA campus. The meaningful donation from the Tunnel to Towers Foundation will close the Veteran Housing Fund and ensure the successful development of more than 500 housing units.

“Tunnel to Towers has transformed our efforts, and together we will bring generations of unhoused and at-risk Veterans and families off the street and into a community dedicated to their care,” said USMC Veteran Steve Peck and CEO of U.S.VETS.

When completed, the phased $1.1 billion project will include a community of nearly 1,700 housing units, modernized infrastructure, restored historic buildings, including the Wadsworth Chapel, and a vibrant community with a town center, supportive services and enterprise programs to provide the care our Veterans deserve.

“In Los Angeles, a city with the largest concentration of homeless Veterans in America, the advancement of this transformative project could not come at a more important time or have a greater impact”, commented Brian D’Andrea, SVP of Century Housing. “The investments that VA, local, state, and federal government, and our community have made will accelerate development and get our Veterans into the permanent supportive housing they need,” D’Andrea added.

The Veterans Promise Campaign will raise $188 million in gap funding for the project, bringing philanthropic individuals, businesses, foundations, and government leaders together to ensure that our community delivers on the vision for supportive Veteran housing, amenities, and opportunities for Veterans on the West LA VA North Campus. Support from the VA, federal, state, county, and city governments will account for the remaining 87% of the total project cost.

Pre-development efforts were led by Jeremy Zimmer of United Talent Agency, City National Bank’s Kelly Coffey, Hudson Pacific Properties’ Victor Coleman, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, HBO’s Amy Gravitt, NBCUniversal, David “The Admiral” Robinson, and long-time U.S.Vets Board member Joe Czyzyk of Mercury Air Group.

“We are very pleased that our groundwork fundraising has enabled The Veterans Collective to complete the important pre-development for housing and service buildings. We now look forward to participating in and completing this visionary building project, and serving our Veterans there for generations to come,” said Jeremy Zimmer, CEO & co-founder of United Talent Agency.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is dedicated to honoring the sacrifice of FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001. For 20 years, the foundation has supported our nation’s first responders, Veterans, and their families. The foundation launched its Smart Home Program in 2011, designed to build mortgage-free smart homes for America’s most catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. The foundation’s Gold Star Family Program, launched in 2018, commemorates the legacy of those who lost their lives while serving our country by paying off the mortgage or providing the surviving spouses and young children with mortgage-free homes.

“We at Tunnel to Towers are committed to ensuring housing for the Veterans that bravely served our country. We’re proud to be part of this visionary solution, which is in service to our mission: while we are here, let us do good,” said Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of Tunnel to Towers.

Veterans Promise Campaign funding opportunities still available include:

• Wadsworth Chapel & Historical Fund: supports the preservation, restoration and adaptive re-use of historic buildings and art installations on campus.
• Veteran Services & Wellness Fund: supports the creation of wrap-around services, career and enterprise programs, activities and amenities on campus.
• Infrastructure & Green Fund: supports the development and improvement of ​​infrastructure, utilities, transportation and green initiatives on campus.
• Greatest Needs Fund: supports the strategic deployment of resources to areas of greatest need, and enhanced capacity to address emerging opportunities on campus.

These along with an Endowment Fund to sustain operations will ensure we can serve the Veterans who bravely served our country, uninterrupted for decades to come. Once completed, the scale and vision of the project will serve as an important prototype for the rest of the nation and help end Veteran homelessness across the country.

To learn more and get involved, sign up to receive action alerts: bit.ly/3gAUgdF

About The Veterans Collective:

The Veterans Collective is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the North Campus of the West Los Angeles VA into a thriving community, through the development of housing and supportive services for more than 3,000 Veterans and families. Established and led by partners Century Housing, Thomas Safran & Associates, and U.S.VETS, The Veterans Collective is deeply committed to the successful transition of military Veterans and their families through the provision of service and amenity-enriched housing that promotes recovery, wellness, and a more hopeful future.