CINCINNATI — The thunder of nail guns, the buzz of saws and the veil of construction dust in the air: Things are coming together at the future home of Joseph House in Camp Washington.
“I'm overwhelmed. I'm so excited to be able to share this with the veterans of present and future,” said Joseph House executive director Alisha Patterson.
She gave WCPO’s Craig McKee a tour of the construction site on Colerain Avenue to show just how much of a difference the new building will make for veterans who stand at a pivotal point in turning their lives around.
“Right now where we're currently set up it’s a little more disjointed, whereas this is going to be much more conducive to the type of work that we actually do at the Joseph House more therapeutic,” Patterson said.
Patterson said everything from the paint colors to the artwork will lend itself to a more therapeutic environment. Another major transformation literally lights up the inside of the building thanks to the many windows allowing natural light to permeate the meditation room, community spaces, therapy rooms and bedrooms.
There are a couple of significant upgrades at the new facility. First and foremost, veterans won’t be sleeping in communal environments like they do at the current buildings in Over the Rhine on Republic Street.
“Single room for each resident and their own bathroom,” Patterson said. “So this will be a safe space for them to if they're having some challenges and some difficulties, they can go in their room and have that space away, which we did not have before.”
The 56-bed total also includes something else they didn’t have before. Women veterans who showed up on the doorstep of Joseph House had to be sent elsewhere as Joseph House was a male-only facility. This new building will have an entire wing dedicated to women veterans getting the same treatment.
“It was really important for me to be able to, to hold true to our leaving no veteran behind,” said Patterson. "The women will have their own separate area. And they'll also have a fitness center for them, a meditation room for them just for really calming times during stressful periods of their lives.”
The women’s wing of the building will have a secure door providing additional safety and security.
There will be two dorm areas — one for the women and one for the men — where up to six veterans can stay. These will primarily be used, Patterson said, when and if there is an influx of veterans.
The office staff and therapists will also see upgraded therapy rooms, office spaces and even an employee kitchen to provide my conveniences during sometimes long days at the office.
The veterans will have their own kitchen space as well. In addition, there will be laundry facilities and an outdoor garden space to get fresh air.
Patterson said he wants Joseph House to feel inviting and welcoming to veterans walking through the door.
The project was made possible thanks to a $3.275 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a $1.5 million grant from the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) totaling $4.7 million.
Construction is expected to wrap up in the summer of 2024.
If you have a veteran story to tell in your community, email homefront@wcpo.com. You also can join the Homefront Facebook group, follow Craig McKee on Facebook and find more Homefront stories here.
