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Military

Nonprofit to house women veterans and their children in Escondido

A home in Escondido has been renovated exclusively for women veterans and their children. KPBS military and veterans reporter Andrew Dyer takes us on an early tour.

A North County nonprofit will make a single-family home available to veteran women with children for free while they're enrolled in one of its programs.

The home will technically be transitional housing, but Rick Espitia, the executive director of Wounded Warrior Homes, said he doesn't want it to feel that way.

"I don't want to have a center that's transitional — kids coming in and out all the time — I want them to feel comfortable," Espitia said. "They can call this home."

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The home has an artificial turf backyard with a covered patio, grill and several fruit trees.

One of the house's three bedrooms is being set up as a learning center. It will have three computers and wireless internet. The closet will be stocked with school and office supplies.

Wounded Warrior Homes offers a mental health program, a food pantry and military-to-civilian transition services. They also have a home for veteran men in Vista.

Residents of the nonprofit's Vista home have been working on the house — much of the interior needed updating, said Glenn Rivera, a U.S. Army veteran.

"Whenever we walked in, everything was dark, everything was outdated," Rivera said. "So we're doing a little bit here and there. We're trying to bring it back to a modern look."

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To qualify, the veteran should have a service-connected disability and demonstrate need. Wounded Warrior Homes is accepting applications and plans to have a family move in next month.

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