By Linda Badger

For many, it would be a dream come true to live in the Presidio.

For 108 of our City’s previously homeless veterans living at the Presidio’s Veterans Academy, this dream has come true.

On May 11, the Veterans Academy, operated by Swords to Plowshares since 2000, celebrated the completion of a much needed, “transformational” renovation project, which began in 2016. The renovated Veterans Academy has been renamed the Jon W. Paulson Veterans’ Community, honoring a longtime supporter and San Francisco veteran who died of complications from exposure to Agent Orange.

The Jon W. Paulson Veterans’ Community provides a permanent affordable and supportive home to older veterans allowing them to “age in place.”

When Swords to Plowshares established the Veterans Academy in 2000, it was the first permanent supportive housing dedicated to veterans in the country. Since that time, others have emulated the model, recognizing that elderly, disabled or homeless vets need homes rather than temporary, transitional housing.

Three quarters of the residents at the Jon W. Paulson Veterans Community are over age 55, and more than half suffer from three or more disabilities associated with their military service or homelessness.

“Many of our residents were living on the streets or in blighted areas of San Francisco,” said Colleen Murakami, chief development officer for Swords to Plowshares. “Having the opportunity to build a home in a peaceful national park setting has provided residents who have histories of chronic homelessness, mental health issues and substance use the opportunity to heal.”

Swords to Plowshares (a non-profit organization), along with the Department of Veterans Affairs, provides on-site services, including case management, counseling, income assistance, communal meals, support groups and social activities. The residents take advantage of their beautiful surroundings, organizing outdoor yoga and walking groups.

Located in the Presidio’s former nurses’ barracks, the community consists of two three-story buildings, which until now, had no elevators. For years, disabled residents struggled with the stairs, limiting their access to services and increasing their isolation. Thanks to newly installed elevators, residents can move within the community to socialize and take advantage of the services offered. Outside, the community is surrounded by accessible paths and ramps, and is very near to the Presidio’s new Tunnel Tops Park.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s PIT (Point in Time) Count indicates that progress is being made in sheltering our homeless veterans. From 2019 to 2022, the number of homeless veterans in San Francisco remained flat at approximately 600, but the percentage of these individuals likely to be sheltered rose from just 19% in 2019 to 33% in 2022. Swords to Plowshares currently houses approximately 500 formerly homeless veterans in six facilities. Unfortunately, it estimates that 350 veterans remain on the streets in San Francisco.

The average income of veterans living in permanent supportive housing managed by Swords to Plowshares is about $1,100 per month, so even if they could live on their own, it would be a significant challenge for them to find affordable housing in San Francisco. The community’s 108 single-occupancy units are the only “affordable housing” located in the Presidio.

After experiencing the nightmares of war, trauma and homelessness, our veterans living in the newly appointed Jon W. Paulson Veterans’ Community will hopefully find peace in the beauty of the Presidio.

For those who don’t qualify for supportive housing and want to live the dream of residing in one of the historic brick mansions in the Presidio, the bidding starts at $18,500 a month. The Presidio Trust rents apartments and houses at market rate to its 3,000 residents, noting that this income is essential to operate and maintain the Presidio as a public park.

For information about how to help homeless veterans, contact Colleen Murakami and her team at development@stp-sf.org.