Month: October 2017

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Local Homeless Vets could see resource increase

Erin McGuinness

The Razorback Reporter

President Donald Trump proposed to increase funding for Veterans Affairs by more than $7 billion nationally, an addition that might not have an effect on the homeless veteran population in Fayetteville, according to interviews with those who work with providing housing for veterans.

Trump’s agenda “The America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again,” proposes to increase VA support by 6 percent, or $4.4 billion with an additional $3.5 billion to continue the Veterans Choice Program.

Approximately 60 homeless veterans in Fayetteville do not receive housing services, said Kevin Fitzpatrick, UA sociology professor and Community and Family Institute director.

Two major programs benefit homeless veterans in Fayetteville. Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) provides rapid re-housing for veterans and their families through 7hills Homeless Center. Housing and Urban Development Housing Choice Voucher (HUD/VASH) works through the Fayetteville Housing Authority to provide permanent independent community housing for homeless veterans eligible for VA Health Care.

7hills Homeless Center placed 130 veterans in rapid re-housing during the previous grant cycle, Jessica Andrews, chief executive officer, said.

“Just from the point in time numbers between 2015 and 2017 within northwest Arkansas the percentage of total adults experiencing homelessness that were veterans went up by two percent,” she said. “I mean it’s a very small increase, but that’s still showing us that there is some additional need here.”

If given more money, 7hills would be able to further their outreach and house more veterans through SSVF, she said.

“The SSVF program has been pretty successful nationwide, so we can’t know what the VA will choose to allocate funds to. But it is a very successful proven program,” she said.

The Fayetteville Housing Authority is allocated 125 vouchers to house homeless veterans, Joy Hunnicutt, Section 8 housing specialist, said. The authority was offered more vouchers, she said, but the office will not accept additional vouchers or money.

“The 125 vouchers we have, we always have openings, we never have them completely full, we never have had, so were not going to take any new vouchers at this point in time,” she said.

There are 112 homeless veterans on the books, Hunnicutt said in a previous interview.

The veterans have to be eligible for case management before they enter the VASH program.  Veterans who do not qualify for the program might be a reason not all the vouchers are used, Hunnicutt said.

“I don’t want to sound like I’m ever pointing fingers at the VA because we work very closely with them, but they have to bring us people before we can house them,” she said.

Brian McAnally, Health Care for Homeless Veterans manager differs slightly from the number provided by Hunnicutt. Of the 125 vouchers in Fayetteville, 120 are full, McAnally said. There is a list of 15 people waiting to procure the additional five.

“They (Fayetteville Housing Authority) have told us they don’t want any more vouchers, that is not a decision that the U.S. government makes, so if they don’t want to accept them, they don’t have to accept them,” he said.

President Trump’s budget is just a suggestion, said Heather Neilson, press secretary for Rep. Steve Womack, R. Ark.

While support will increase overall, that does not mean that every VA program with receive more money.

“Our appropriations bill had an increase compared to the number from last year, but just because there is an increase, does not mean that there is an increase for every program under the VA umbrella. That would not be physically sound,” she said.

The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. and it is not official where the money will be allocated to yet, McAnally said. McAnally runs programs throughout northwest Arkansas and Missouri in addition to his work with Fayetteville.

“Nothing is official yet. But it appears that, yes, we will be receiving some additional resources for homeless veterans,” he said.

 

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Fraternity renovates house, adds new electrical system

Photo by Alex Nicoll
The FarmHouse fraternity is renovating its house to bring it up to code Sept. 20. Additions will include a new electrical system, a new kitchen and six new bedrooms.

By Alex Nicoll

The Razorback Reporter

One fraternity on campus plans on making itself more competitive in the recruitment process with a renovation project to its house that will cost $1.75 million to complete, said the fratnerity president.

FarmHouse, one of the smallest UA Interfraternity Council fraternities, is in the process of completely overhauling the interior of its house and the smaller building behind the house, called the Annex, that is used as a meeting space for members of the fraternity, Farmhouse president Tucker Brown said.

Part of the new additions to FarmHouse include adding an updated kitchen, central air conditioning and heating and six new bedrooms to raise the number from 30 rooms to 36.

The new electrical system that will be put in place for air conditioning and heating will replace window air-conditioning units and an outdated boiler system that members have been using.

FarmHouse wanted to make itself more in line with the string of new fraternity houses that have been built in recent years, like ones for Kappa Alpha and Lambda Chi Alpha, which is part of the reason for the renovation, Brown said.

The renovations will “open up how many people we can bring in” and will offer more opportunities for new member recruitment, he said.

“I’m really excited for it,” Brown said. “I loved living there, but it was an older house. It needed some new amenities.”

Most of the money for the project came from alumni donations, but the fraternity also had to take out loans, Brown said. He could not remember how much the loans were for or how much came from private donations. The city approved a building permit for the Annex part of the construction April 7 that is valued at $192,000, according to public records.

The house, at 348 N. Arkansas Ave., was built in the 1920s, and the last time it was renovated was in the 1980s, which meant the house was not up to code standards, like using radiators and window units previously, Brown said.

The university has very little involvement with the construction project because the house is privately owned and sits on private property, said Mike Johnson, the associate vice chancellor for Facilities Management.

Johnson and his staff do have the ability to exercise some authority over the project because FarmHouse is considered a Registered Student Organization.

Fayetteville city officials handle ordinances and ensure buildings are up to code, while Facilities Management officials inspect the structure for other safety hazards and bring in a fire marshal to check for any violations.

“Because of the age of the building, we were grandfathered in for many of the current codes, so no changes were necessary,” Brown said in a text message. “As soon we start renovating and changing things in the house, though, everything had to be brought up to code. So there weren’t any previous violations. There just would be if, after the renovation, certain electrical stuff hadn’t been changed.”

Most of the in-house members are living at the Atmosphere Apartments and The Spectrum apartments while the fraternity house is under construction.

The project will be completed in two phases. Phase I involved renovating the Annex, which is close to completion after construction crews worked on it over the summer. Phase II involves fixing up the house.

Brown expects construction on the house to be finished by July 2018, he said. Demolition began after the completion of the Annex and renovations will begin in October 2017.

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Fraternity renovates house, updates electrical system

By Alex Nicoll

The Razorback Reporter

One fraternity on campus plans on making itself more competitive in the recruitment process with a renovation project to its house that will cost $1.75 million to complete, said the fratnerity president.

FarmHouse, one of the smallest UA Interfraternity Council fraternities, is in the process of completely overhauling the interior of its house and the smaller building behind the house, called the Annex, that is used as a meeting space for members of the fraternity, Farmhouse president Tucker Brown said.

Part of the new additions to FarmHouse include adding an updated kitchen, central air conditioning and heating and six new bedrooms to raise the number from 30 rooms to 36.

The new electrical system that will be put in place for air conditioning and heating will replace window air-conditioning units and an outdated boiler system that members have been using.

FarmHouse wanted to make itself more in line with the string of new fraternity houses that have been built in recent years, like ones for Kappa Alpha and Lambda Chi Alpha, which is part of the reason for the renovation, Brown said.

The renovations will “open up how many people we can bring in” and will offer more opportunities for new member recruitment, he said.

“I’m really excited for it,” Brown said. “I loved living there, but it was an older house. It needed some new amenities.”

Most of the money for the project came from alumni donations, but the fraternity also had to take out loans, Brown said. He could not remember how much the loans were for or how much came from private donations. The city approved a building permit for the Annex part of the construction April 7 that is valued at $192,000, according to public records.

The house, at 348 N. Arkansas Ave., was built in the 1920s, and the last time it was renovated was in the 1980s, which meant the house was not up to code standards, like using radiators and window units previously, Brown said.

The university has very little involvement with the construction project because the house is privately owned and sits on private property, said Mike Johnson, the associate vice chancellor for Facilities Management.

Johnson and his staff do have the ability to exercise some authority over the project because FarmHouse is considered a Registered Student Organization.

Fayetteville city officials handle ordinances and ensure buildings are up to code, while Facilities Management officials inspect the structure for other safety hazards and bring in a fire marshal to check for any violations.

“Because of the age of the building, we were grandfathered in for many of the current codes, so no changes were necessary,” Brown said in a text message. “As soon we start renovating and changing things in the house, though, everything had to be brought up to code. So there weren’t any previous violations. There just would be if, after the renovation, certain electrical stuff hadn’t been changed.”

Most of the in-house members are living at the Atmosphere Apartments and The Spectrum apartments while the fraternity house is under construction.

The project will be completed in two phases. Phase I involved renovating the Annex, which is close to completion after construction crews worked on it over the summer. Phase II involves fixing up the house.

Brown expects construction on the house to be finished by July 2018, he said. Demolition began after the completion of the Annex and renovations will begin in October 2017.

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Corporations Look for Ways to Hire Vets in Large Numbers

By Hermon Negash

The Razorback Reporter

Because employment for veterans is one aspect of the sometimes difficult transition from military life to civilian life, companies and programs try to help veterans find jobs.

The unemployment rate among veterans in the United States was about 4.6 percent in 2016 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Veterans face problems when looking for employment after overseas tours; among them, lacking skills necessary in the civilian workforce. The skills they possess are not easily translated on resumés.

“I can’t put on a resumé that I can assault an enemy fortification or that I can lead a squad of 12 and take as much territory as I want and hold it for as long as I want. That doesn’t work in a resumé,” Starbucks manager and Marine veteran Justin Zaelke said in an online interview on the company website.

Erika Gamboa, director of the UA Veterans Resource and Information Center, and the federal program VetSuccess on Campus try to help solve those problems.

The program, which was created under President Barack Obama’s administration, focuses on job training.

“The goal is that their training leads them to a job. They don’t place them, but they help them get the skills,” Gamboa said.

VetSuccess helps veterans decide which path they will take on their road to employment. Whether it is on-the-job training, attending vocational schools or a four-year institution, the VetSuccess helps veterans acquire the necessary skills to be qualified in their field of choice.

VetSuccess does not place veterans in jobs, veterans have to do some digging to find them. Companies and businesses across the country are poised to help. Walmart announced a plan in 2013 to hire 100,000 veterans by 2018 and expanded it in 2015 to 250,000 veterans by 2020. Tyson Foods has a “Camo to Khaki” program which highlights their commitment to hiring veterans.

Starbucks set a goal to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses by 2018 and already has reached that goal, according to the website. Company executives set a new goal to hire an additional 15,000 by 2025.

In addition to veterans, Starbucks has vowed to hire at-risk youth and refugees. Because the Starbucks on the UA campus is a licensed store, meaning it is not independent and usually operates within another entity when opened within a school or a mall, the campus Starbucks does not participate in a lot of programs. Peter Loibner is a Licensed Stores district manager and is based in Little Rock. Although he deals with stores that usually don’t participate in those types of programs, he said he is proud of his company’s missions.

“I love working for a company that recognizes the best and brightest in a diverse fashion,” Loibner said.

The Starbucks on Wedington Drive in Fayetteville is not a licensed store so the location participates in initiatives that company executives plan. Ashlei Carry is the manager of the Wedington location and is an Army spouse. Carry started out as a part-time barista in April 2013 before moving to Fayetteville with her husband.

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Student Veterans Group Having Trouble Gaining Traction

Kayla Nunez 

The Razorback Reporter

The U of A has more than 403 registered student organizations and an estimated 50 percent of students are members of an RSO, but the organizers of Student Veterans are having trouble gaining traction for their group.    

Student Veterans has been an RSO on the U of A campus since 2008 and is a chapter of Student Veterans of America. The group helps veterans attending the U of A adjust to civilian life and find others who have been through similar experiences.

While the chapter has been around for nine years, it still struggles to draw in new recruits. 

“It’s hard to rally those troops,” said Derrick Calhoun, President of Student Veterans.

The group presented an ice cream social in the spring, but it didn’t draw many people.  Calhoun said the weather wasn’t quite warm enough yet for ice cream.   

“We supplement what the university does with fun stuff,” Calhoun said, but Student Veterans has to choose carefully what they spend their money on, which is one reason it’s hard to bring in new people.   

Amber Widdowson, Assistant Director for Registered Student Organizations, said that RSOs get their money from the student activities fee. 

“We’ve thought about making flyers, passing out pencils and stuff like that,” Calhoun said, “but then it comes back to lack of funding.  We have currently $97 in our bank account.” 

Spreading the word about Student Veterans and getting more of them actively involved in the RSO was the group’s 2016-2017 mission, Calhoun said, but only about 10 more people were added as members.

Calhoun said Student Veterans has about 100 members but not all of those members are active. 

As of 2016, there were 1,382 self-identified military affiliated students at the U of A.

The Veterans Resource and Information Center sends veterans to the RSO when they come in, but many vets don’t know about VRIC, Calhoun said. 

Calhoun said he wishes the university would do something like send an e-mail about the VRIC to veterans after they register to attend.  He said he didn’t even know about VRIC for a while.

“I just kind of stumbled across it,” Calhoun said, “I eventually found it on my own.”

Despite the name Student Veterans, the RSO isn’t just for vets. 

Buster McCall, Associate Director of VRIC, said joining Student Veterans is a good way to serve veterans for those who aren’t in the military. 

“We have a good one (RSO) that is open for everyone,” said McCall.  “We’re looking for energy in that organization.”