Christopher Todd Communities, a new innovative multi-family community developer in the Phoenix metropolitan area, has created a 501(c)3 a non-profit called A New Lease on Life™ to give those in need a hand up. The first community outreach involves a partnership with The Veterans Directory. One veteran will receive three-year rent-assistance at each of the first two Christopher Todd Communities luxury single-family rental home communities. The first communities are under construction in Surprise and the other in west Phoenix on 99th Ave. One veteran – or their surviving spouse – will be selected for each of those communities.
“We’ve been fortunate in our lives. When we created Christopher Todd Communities, having a structured way to serve our community was an important pillar of our business plan. A New Lease on Life allows us to connect resources to make a meaningful impact, one person or family at a time,” said Todd Wood, CEO of Christopher Todd Communities. Christopher Todd Communities plans to utilize the New Lease on Life non-profit with each new community it develops, and will identify needs specific to that locale.
The Veteran Directory, a subsidiary of the Maricopa Community College Foundation, will engage with the veterans via the Arizona Coalition of Military Families and the Arizona Department of Veterans Services to identify an honorably discharged veteran, who served post 9-11 and supported one of the active war campaigns. Also considered will be the spouse of a service member killed in action or missing in action during the same period and scope. The veteran or veteran spouse will need to meet specific criteria including financial stability, a commitment to the Veterans Case Management Tool initiative and willingness to commit to on-going engagement.
In return, Christopher Todd Communities will offer the first year rent-free to the person selected, with a sliding scale of reduced rents for the second and third-year. The company builds luxury single-family home rental communities with on-site amenities such as an event lawn park and luxury pool with cabanas and outdoor barbecues. Every community is pet-friendly and the professional community management company creates resident events to foster a sense of neighborliness. The single-story, one- and two-bedroom rental homes are a modern alternative to traditional multi-story apartment buildings, and the company calls it “horizontal living.”
“Our involvement with the Veterans continues well beyond securing them a home. We offer training, leadership, financial counseling, wellness and other programs to help our Veterans successfully transition into civilian life,” said Joanna Sweatt, COO of The Veterans Directory. “We are honored to be helping Christopher Todd Communities find very deserving Veterans to participate in the New Lease on Life outreach,” she concluded.
Honorably Discharged Veterans (or within 90-days of exit from service with a command letter, “Positive Statement of Service”) Rank E6 or lower who served during the Post 9-11 era with a direct connection to supporting one of the active war campaigns during service time may apply. Additionally, an unmarried spouse of a Veteran (Rank E6 or lower) that was KIA/MIA during combat or combat training during any Post 9-11 era American conflict may also apply.
The application and program requirements can be downloaded from The Veterans Directory website www.TheVeteransDirectory.org.
