Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana plans to build its first transitional home for military veterans with children, the agency announced Monday. The house, in Lake Station, marks a partnership with the city and the Lake County Economic Development Department. Officials said the initiative help s close a housing gap in Lake County, where all transitional and veteran rental housing options are limited to one-bedroom units, which do not accommodate veterans returning from deployment with children. “We identified a need a couple years ago and found everything available in Northwest Indiana is not for families,” said Dawn Michaels, Habitat’s outgoing executive director, whose last day is Wednesday. She’s been named chief operating officer for the Northwest Indiana Realtors Association. She said veterans’ organizations in Northwest Indiana agreed there’s a need for transitional family housing. Habitat has been building homes in Lake Station’s Riverwalk subdivision for the past few years. The new veterans’ home is in a different location, Michaels said. “We chose Lake Station because the mayor is very supportive, and it has a lot of veterans,” she said. It’s also very affordable, she added. “This collaboration reflects our city’s commitment to supporting veterans, strengthening families, and creating opportunities for stability and success,” said Mayor Bill Carroll in a statement. In a departure from the typical Habitat project, Michaels said the veteran’s family will rent the home initially and not take part in its construction, but it could represent a path to home ownership. “We anticipate working with that family in order for them to be a homeowner. The goal is to transition them and create a wealth-building asset,” she said. “We want our families to age in place. This is a perfect way to have a veteran go from renting to home ownership,” Michaels said. The Lake County Community Economic Development Department provided financial support for the project. “By investing in solutions that keep families together, we strengthen both individual households and the broader community,” said Tim Brown, its executive director. The home is fully completed and move-in ready, and Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana is accepting applications from a veteran parent with children. For application information, contact Family Services at Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana, 219-923-7265 x1305 or email [email protected]. Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. ...read more read less