A senior at the University of Michigan-Flint is creating transitional housing to female veterans in need of support and established Our Home Transitional.

Carrie Miller, the founder, turned to the University Outreach Innovation Incubator (IN). There she received guidance on creating a business plan for her organization.

Miller is in the process of buying a 10-bedroom house in Flint to house her organization. Seven to 12 female vets can be housed at one time, but the group needs to raise 35 percent of the down payment on the house before it can receive a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program.

"Right now, my biggest challenge is getting funding," said Miller. "We have received some small grants and donations, and are blessed to have received those."

There is limited data from the Veterans Administration to show the number of women veterans identified as homeless. But estimates range from nearly 1,400 in fiscal year 2006 to more than 3,300 in fiscal 2010. Almost two-thirds were between 40 and 59 years old, and more than one-third had disabilities. Additionally many of these women lived with their minor children.

Our Home Transitional plans to provide various types of assistance to help female veterans transition to self-sufficiency in civilian society through other local and national organizations.

Miller hopes to soon have the grant funding in place to buy the house and begin fully operating the program by the end of March or the middle of April. She says there are many other vacant homes in the city that could be used to eventually expand the program.

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