Housing program puts roof over homeless Arizona veteran’s head
Sep 2, 2015, 2:09 PM
(City of Mesa Photo)
A Marine veteran who spent the better part of 30 years living on the streets in Mesa received the keys to his own apartment this week through a program for vets.
Larry Hutchison, who served during the Vietnam War, was the first move-in for Housing Mesa’s Heroes program. U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a Navy veteran, attended a formal ceremony marking the event on Wednesday.
Hutchison spent 30 years on the streets “on drugs and alcohol trying to get rid of the memories I have” before becoming part of the Mesa leadership’s effort to end homelessness among veterans.
With a roof over his head, Hutchison, sober for 10 years, looks forward to the next day.
“Life to me, is clock, because if it goes backwards then we remain in the past, and we’ll never handle the future,” he said.
Mayor John Giles and Councilmembers Chris Glover and Kevin Thompson have been leading Mesa’s push to house veterans, staring in March.
“I am so happy for Mr. Hutchison, proud of everyone who helped make today a reality and look forward to continuing the effort,” Giles said in a statement.
The city partnered with the Veterans Administration and nonprofits the Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness and Community Bridges.
McCain, who famously served in Vietnam, said, “Our Vietnam veterans were not welcomed home. … Now, we are making up for that unhappy portion of our history.”