USU to offer limited veteran-only housing to students

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah State University is working to provide housing for student veterans in need by opening a home for them this upcoming school year. 

Starting this August, student veterans can apply to be in a veteran-only house with one or two other veterans.

Executive Director for USU’s Veteran Resource Office, Andy Allen, said the housing project started last year when he struggled to find housing for a homeless student veteran.

“When we encountered this homeless veteran, I just told myself, ‘I need to do more, I need to find somebody in the community that can help me solve this problem,'” Allen said.

Allen contacted USA Project Valor, a nonprofit group dedicated to finding housing for Utah’s veterans, to get help with the project.

USU veteran housing eases transition to civilian life

The VRO said sharing living space with other veterans is very important in helping these students.

Veterans are used to doing everything with other people, so going straight back into civilian life can be lonely. Another veteran in their space might be the support they need.

Allen said this housing at USU will help returning veterans adjust and be better students.

“Our goal is to just get them off the street and get them into some stable housing and make being a student a lot easier for them. And allow them to be able to find work and then, as they can, be able to pay rent.”

They are starting small with a two-bedroom house for now. A bed will be left open for a student veteran at USU struggling with homelessness. Allen says if they are successful this year, they hope to expand the program.

USA Project Valor will host a 5K run in October to help support the project.

Related: Weber County seeks creation of special court to aid veterans caught up in the legal system