VETERANS JOURNAL - Vietnam War health study links Agent Orange and diabetes;
GEORGE W. REILLY. The Providence Journal. Providence, R.I.: Jul 18, 2005.

Operation Stand Down offers housing for vets

Veterans from across Rhode Island gathered in West Warwick on July 6 to cut the ribbon on new housing for former soldiers, sailors and airmen. Operation Stand Down converted an aging turn-of-the- century home on Providence Street into apartments for eight veterans.

The financing for the $536,000 initiative included $160,000 from the state Neighborhood Opportunities Program. The state grant will enable veterans to pay no more than 30 percent of their income toward the cost of rent, laundry and related housing costs. The balance of the project's financing came from Rhode Island Housing and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The three-story, colonial-style building is within walking distance of churches, restaurants and a pharmacy. The renovations included new heating and electrical systems, a fire-safety system and handicapped accessibility improvements.

Operation Stand Down will also link these veterans with Veterans Administration benefits, education, job training and other assistance. "We go one step further than traditional landlords. Veterans take care of their own. The men who live here have earned it," said Anthony DeQuattro, president of the board of directors for Operation Stand Down. For more information about Operation Stand Down's services for veterans, phone (401) 383-4730.

Rhode Island Housing is a self-supporting corporation. As the state's principal housing agency, Rhode Island Housing has helped more than 58,000 families buy homes and financed the creation of more than 14,000 apartments for low- and moderate-income Rhode Islanders. For more information about Rhode Island Housing's programs, contact the agency at (800) 427-5560 or visit www.rihousing.com