Joseph House Awarded Grants for New Treatment Facility

Greater Cincinnati will soon have a new facility to call “home” for its veterans who are battling addiction thanks to the generous support of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and DAV (Disabled American Veterans). With combined grants of more than $4.7 million ($3.275 million from the VA and $1.5 million from DAV), Joseph House – the region’s only exclusive treatment and recovery service for veterans – will build a new facility in Camp Washington specially designed to offer military veterans residential and outpatient services.  

“The work of the VA and DAV to support and empower our nation’s heroes is so admirable, and we’re grateful to have their financial backing as we build a facility that positions us to increase and enhance our services,” said Joseph House Executive Director Alicia Patterson. “We have served nearly 2,000 veterans since opening our doors on Republic Street in 1994 and are thrilled that this move will enable us to build a treatment facility that will strengthen our efforts.”

The three-story building will be located at 3304 Colerain Ave., less than four miles from Joseph House’s current Over-the-Rhine facility. It will include beds for clients receiving inpatient treatment; some of which will be in single-occupancy rooms with private bathrooms, giving clients suffering from PTSD the individual space necessary to lessen triggers and associated symptoms. This will mark the first time that Joseph House will have the infrastructure to provide inpatient treatment to female veterans. The facility also will have ADA-compliant rooms and accommodations to welcome and better serve clients with physical disabilities.

“The Grant and Per Diem program fills a targeted role in VA’s evidence-based approach to preventing and ending homelessness by ensuring veterans facing housing crises have safe and healthy accommodations during their path to permanent, stable housing,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “These grants allow VA, alongside community partners like Joseph House, to amplify efforts to reduce homelessness and to protect the dignity of our most vulnerable veterans.”

“We are honored to support the vital work being done for at-risk veterans at Joseph House,” said DAV Charitable Service Trust President Richard Marbes. “We remain committed to supporting their mission and know they will continue to make great strides toward improving the lives of the men and women who served.”

Patterson considers both the building structure and new location transformational to the future of Joseph House. “Our current location in two historic buildings has added complexity to the work we do. By designing the facility from the ground-up, we’re creating centralized operations with common spaces, recreational areas, meeting rooms and more. The Colerain Ave. location will ensure clients can easily access our services by bus.”

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 11, 2023. Photos from the event are available here.

In summer of 2023, new contributions totaling $725,000 were awarded to Joseph House by the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation ($500,000); the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund – Fifth Third Bank, Trustee ($200,000); and the Ohio Valley Foundation – Fifth Third Bank, Agent ($25,000).

“We are fortunate to have this financial support from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund and the Ohio Valley Foundation,” said Patterson. “Addiction in vulnerable populations, such as veterans, is a very real public health issue, and the generosity of these partners is enabling us to fight this battle head-on.”

Joseph House will remain in its current location at 1526 Republic Street in Over-the-Rhine until work on the new building is complete. Construction is slated to be wrapped by summer of 2024.

A special thanks to the following organizations that have helped to make the new facility possible: