Thanks to a collaborative effort between Home Depot Corporation, Insight Housing, Napa Solano Habitat for Humanity, and Team Home Depot, on November 8th the Rio Vista veteran’s home on St. Francis Way was upgraded and safety improvements were made. The project included $19,000 in funding and volunteer labor.
Improvements to the property (owned by Insight Housing of Berkely, California) included building walker and wheelchair ramps to the house, replacing major appliances in the communal kitchen, upgrading bathroom cabinets and installing ADA friendly toilets, planting attractive landscaping in the front and back, and a new private patio with comfortable built-in patio furniture. All this is part of Home Depot Foundation’s annual “Operation Surprise. “
Each November, Home Depot honors our nation’s veterans by funding and supporting hundreds of surprisingprojects. As well as cash donations, this includes Home Depot employees volunteering thousands of hours of their personal time and skilled labor through their “Team Home Depot” community outreach program. It is completely free to the recipients. The Home Depot Foundation is committed to investing an additional $750 million in projects like ours by 2030. The increased funding is in addition to Home Depot’s “Operation Surprise” grants of over $500 million in free tools, labor, and materials to veterans since 2011.
Last Friday, Team Home Depot volunteers brought materials, appliances, and tools to the Rio Vista Veteran facility to improve the six-bedroom, 1600+ square foot home, making it safer and more comfortable. Veterans here enjoy private, comfortable rooms, while sharing household tasks, meal preparation, and other daily activities. Their rent is capped at 30% of a working veteran’s income.
A veteran with no income is exempt from rent until they secure employment, according to Angela Upshaw, COO of Insight Housing. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provided funding for the Rio Vista facility in 2021. Both HUD and VA stipulate that a veteran’s rent or mortgage payment cannot exceed 30% of their income. The HUD and VA approved house in Rio Vista was built by Habitat for Humanity. Insight Housing later acquired the home and now manages it exclusively for veterans.
Ms. Upshaw noted that the Rio Vista house lacked the proper facilities for disabled veterans. With the new improvements, her company is now seeking veteran applicants to make it their home. Rio Vista residents who know of veterans who would be interested, should contact the Veterans Department or Insight Housing for assistance with the application process.
