Shared Success: Bringing Veterans Village to Life with Liberation Veteran Services

Shared Success: Bringing Veterans Village to Life with Liberation Veteran Services

In Virginia, Veterans represent about 8% of the population, yet they account for nearly 13% of individuals experiencing homelessness. Behind that statistic are men and women who have served our country and now face complex challenges related to housing insecurity, employment, health, and long-term stability. Many need more than a roof over their heads; they need safe, dignified housing paired with support systems that recognize and account for their individual journeys and lived experiences.

In response to this critical need, Jay Patrick founded Liberation Veteran Services (LVS) in 2013 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting homeless Veterans across the Greater Richmond region. LVS’s mission is to offer homeless Veterans the care, resources, and stability they need to rebuild their lives.

Today, LVS is the largest low-demand program for homeless Veterans in the nation and the only program of its kind in Virginia. As a low-demand program, LVS meets Veterans where they are, reducing barriers to entry and focusing on connection, dignity, and long-term stability.

Liberation Veteran Services Program History

LVS has created a proven model that restores life, hope, and dignity. Their primary objective is to work with each Veteran to develop a plan that results in affordable, sustainable, permanent housing. Since its inception, they have served more than 800 homeless Veterans and have consistently maintained an 86% success rate, meaning 86 of 100 Veterans who complete the program are able to live independently for more than 12 months. The average length of stay at LVS is 7.5 months, and the age range of residents is 23 to 77 years old. LVS becomes home to their Veterans, and, in many cases, they also become their families. The organization takes great pride in the fact that they have built a program that is relational and not transactional.

The LVS team works diligently with Veterans to foster trust and develop meaningful relationships, giving each person time to rebuild their lives. For over a decade, LVS has operated at 1201 Hull Street in Manchester, which currently offers 38 beds in an Open Bay layout and five shared bathrooms adjacent to the bedroom area.

In November 2023, while celebrating their 10th anniversary, LVS introduced the concept of Veterans Village: a new supportive housing development designed to replace the Hull Street location and elevate the program’s experience for current and future residents. And in January 2025, the project team officially broke ground.

Located at 5503.5 Midlothian Turnpike, Veterans Village will continue the acclaimed programming currently offered by LVS at the Hull Street location. However, instead of “barracks-style living”, Veterans will now have their own bedrooms and bathrooms. In this new environment, LVS will continue to build a healthy community while offering some much-needed privacy with a special focus on dignity and respect.

A Collaborative Effort Rooted in Community

At Timmons Group, we believe in creating housing developments that contribute to the long-term health and well-being of the communities we serve. Working alongside Baskervill, a Richmond-based architectural firm, Hourigan Construction, and STRUCTR Advisors, Timmons Group partnered with LVS to support the Veterans Village project by providing a comprehensive range of services, including site and civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, land surveying, underground utility surveying, landscape architecture, environmental assessments, and construction administration.

Phase I of this transformative project includes a two-story, 13K SF micro-apartment building with 50 units, each featuring a private bedroom and bathroom. Complementing the residential building is a one-story, 4K SF community building designed to foster connection, provide support, and enhance daily life. The community building includes a dining hall, kitchen, gathering spaces for Veterans to enjoy community and camaraderie, a conference room, a laundry area, and an outdoor courtyard.

“It’s moving to hear from the client Veterans that this organization serves as they strive to provide community and support to those in crisis in the Richmond area,” said Amelia Wehunt, Principal and Urban Practice Group Leader at Timmons Group. “The LVS team fills an important gap in preventing and alleviating homelessness among Veterans.”

Designing for Function, Access, and Resilience

One of the biggest design challenges of this project was transforming a largely paved area into a functional, livable site. With no existing underground storm drain network, stormwater management required thoughtful, creative problem-solving. The site previously relied on sheet flow draining to a back ditch, without storm inlets or curb infrastructure.

To address this, the project team enhanced stormwater performance by incorporating additional landscaping and carefully channeling runoff around the buildings, eliminating the need for detention facilities while improving overall site resilience.

Additional infrastructure improvements included new telecommunications and electrical service connections, along with the installation of supplemental fire hydrants to ensure proper coverage.

Transportation access was another critical consideration. Reliable transit is essential for many Veterans participating in the LVS program—whether they are traveling to job interviews, their place of employment, medical appointments, or elsewhere. Situated adjacent to an official GRTC bus stop, the design team incorporated an ADA-accessible path connecting Veterans Village to the public right-of-way, ensuring safe, seamless access to public transportation for residents.

Just two years after the project was announced, Timmons Group joined LVS and teaming partners for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 11, 2025, celebrating the opening of phase I on Veterans Day. Residents are expected to begin moving into Veterans Village in February of this year.

“Veterans Village reflects the strength of partnership and shared community commitment to our Veterans. We are thankful to Timmons Group, Baskervill Architects, Hourigan Construction, STRUCTR Advisors, and to our incredibly generous community for their roles in turning our dream into a reality. Veterans Village will soon welcome our Veterans into a safe, supportive environment, where we will continue to offer Housing, Healing, and Hope,” Lynne Berkness, LVS Chief Advancement Officer, said.

Looking ahead, Phase II of this project will add 20 new units of affordable rental housing, each with one bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a small living area. These units will be adjacent to the new community building and offer permanent housing options for LVS Veterans and Veterans coming from similar community-based programs in the Richmond region.

Timmons Group is proud to have partnered with Baskervill, Liberation Veteran Services, and teaming partners to help bring this vision to life. For more than a decade, LVS has restored life, hope, and dignity to Veterans in need, and Veterans Village stands as a powerful example of what’s possible when mission-driven organizations and community-focused design teams come together.

To learn more about Liberation Veteran Services, the programs they offer, and how you can get involved, visit their website.