Easterseals unveils plans for 15-acre affordable housing campus for veterans

MANCHESTER — Plans for a new 15-acre veteran-centered services campus were unveiled in front of a crowd of local and state officials at Easterseals NH on Tuesday afternoon.

The facility, which will be located in Franklin, is expected to break ground in September and will take approximately 15 months to construct.

In addition to 30 units of permanent affordable rental housing for veterans, the facility will also have 20 short-term rental bedrooms, access to a rail trail and offices for various military service organizations to ensure a continuum of care for visitors to the campus.

The campus is a joint project of Easterseals and its Veterans Count program, the State of New Hampshire, and PROCON, with $23 million in funding allocated through New Hampshire’s portion of American Rescue Plan Act, and State Fiscal Recovery funds. Additional funds are expected to be raised to build a retreat center, therapeutic building, military-themed playground and outdoor performance stage.

“Our military service members stood tall for us, defending the freedoms and liberties we hold dear,” said Gov. Chris Sununu. “Like never before, New Hampshire is creating the gold standard for the health and wellness of America’s heroes. In the Granite State, neighbors take care of neighbors. It comes with great pride that we are able to create this historic, one-of-a-kind, all-encompassing campus.”

“New Hampshire has one of the largest per capita populations of veterans in the country, so we know the demand is high,” said Maureen Beauregard, president and CEO of Easterseals NH. “This new campus will create a singular pathway to connect military service members, veterans, and their families with the services, programs, and assistance they need. It is a project of passion for all of us at Easterseals NH and we are deeply honored to be a part of such an important mission.”

“Our veterans stood strong for us, and we owe it to them to stand strong for them,” said Taylor Caswell, Commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “I am excited to see this great partnership come together to create this first-of-its-kind campus right here in the Granite State. Not only does this project represent an incredible opportunity to support our Veterans, but will undoubtedly be an invaluable resource to Veterans in our state once completed.”

PROCON Construction has the task of turning the plans into a reality and provided the renderings for the official project launch.

“As a long-time supporter of Easterseals, PROCON is honored to have been selected as their design-builder of the Easterseals Military and Veteran Campus in Franklin, NH. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality affordable housing and a retreat center for our veterans,” said John Stebbins, Managing Director of PROCON.

“This project is the culmination of years of exploring new and revolutionary ways to better serve this specific population of families in New Hampshire and we are thrilled to be taking this dramatic step towards fulfilling our goal of serving those who have served our country,” said Andy MacWilliam, chair of the board of directors, Easterseals NH. “We can’t wait to get started.”

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