Veteran finds forever home
One local veteran now has a permanent place to call home.
The Cross Roads Housing Development and Chapter 47 Disabled American Veterans (D.A.V.) partnership has come to completion, as Veteran Greg Lindsey officially signed papers and closed, on April 19, on his new home.
“I am really thankful I was able to get the house. I prayed on it and thought if it was God's will it will work out, and it did,” Greg Lindsey, veteran and new homeowner, said. “I'm happy as can be. I am starting a new chapter in my life … I've come a long way.”
Lindsey moved to Big Spring in 2017, with no expectations of how long he would be staying.
“I have come a long way since I first arrived in Big Spring,” he said. “I'm excited to work on the backyard and make this house a home.”
Crossroads Housing utilized students in the Big Spring High School Construction Trades III class to remodel the two-bedroom, ADA friendly home. The students received real-world experience in drywall, window installation, cabinet construction, flooring, concrete work, and more while working on the 990 - square foot home that was built in 1929. Throughout the process there were 14 students who had a hand in the remodel and nine of those were involved in the project from start to finish.
The house was originally purchased in 2021 with intention of removing a dilapidated house from the neighborhood, but the four-year project has ended up being bigger than imagined.
“This project was the result of partnerships with a lot of organizations and entities. It has been a longer process than we originally anticipated almost four years ago. We are happy to see it come to a close and have a veteran qualify for the home,” Stacy Swisher, Executive Director of Crossroads Housing, said.
Last year, interested veterans had an opportunity to see the work that had been completed by Big Spring High School Construction Trades III class, during an open house held July 27. Applications for the house were available during that open house.
“We were presented with a partnership proposal from Crossroads Housing, asking if we would help find a qualified veteran for a house they were working on,” Mike Tarpley, Sr. Vice Commander of the local D.A.V. said. “We began taking applications and looking in the community for qualified veterans who were looking to make Big Spring their permanent home.”
As part of the partnership, Cross Roads Housing provided $15,000 toward the down payment and the D.A.V. - through funds provided from the United Way - provided $10,000 toward the purchase of the home.
“It's an honor to be able to help veterans throughout the year, but projects like this are extra special. Being able to help a veteran get into a place that he can call his own and put down roots here in Big Spring leaves an impact on so many lives,” Tarpley said.
In addition to the work that has been completed and the down payment assistance, the home also includes furniture valued at $5,000 from Mitchell's Furniture and Mattress City and Mike Tarpley. New appliances - refrigerator, stove, washer and dryer- are also included with the house. Atkins Realty was also part of the process making the veteran home purchase possible.
Crossroads Housing will be celebrating their 25 year anniversary. As a reminder, they offer several programs that offer support in down payment assistance and other opportunities connected to affordable housing.
“We ended up with a beautifully finished product. We are extremely happy to have been able to get a local veteran into the home (with the help of the D.A.V.), which was the original intent,” Swisher said.