Shelter Addresses Safety After Veteran Jumps From Window

Officials at a nonprofit homeless shelter say they’re working to address safety concerns after a veteran jumped out of a window at the facility last week.

A resident jumped from a third floor window at the shelter, according to the Veterans Assistance Foundation. VAF Executive Director Don Roach said the individual was alive when transported to the hospital.

This is the second incident this year involving the nonprofit shelter, which leases space at the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center. After a veteran died at the facility in September, the VA announced they would be ending the nonprofit’s lease agreement.

“The VAF has some very serious problems that it needs to address within its program and just the physical safety of veterans within their program is just part of that,” said VA Public Affairs Officer Matthew Gowan.

Before last week’s accident, Tomah VA’s Acting Director Victoria Brahm reported the VAF failed an annual inspection and had 30 days to address problems at the facility.

Roach said the foundation is working to tackle those issues, but he doesn’t think safety is a problem at the shelter.

“As far as this latest incident, who can say what motivated the individual to do what he did. Was it safety? I can’t say that,” Roach said.

The VAF’s lease ends in January but the Tomah VA has offered an extension through April if the shelter adds additional security measures. The VAF has not agreed to the new conditions.

“We’re looking into it and trying to get it to be reasonable,” Roach said. “They’re wanting us to continue to pay the complete lease amount, utilities amount and maintenance for the complete second and third floor when we offered that we would be more than happy to vacate the third floor and move everyone to the second floor therefore to cut all of these fees in half.”

The VAF was looking for a new location for their shelter, which houses around 30 veterans. But Roach said the federal VA grant program that helps pay for the shelter’s expenses denied the VAF’s petition to move.

“We’ve been denied that because of the inspection,” Roach said. “Would they let us move it even after we come up with a corrective action plan? That’s not for me to say, I don’t know.”

Roach said the VAF is working with the VA to make sure veterans living at the facility are cared for.