Extreme Makeover needs to make this right

Jubilee House struggles without VA money
Staff writer
By John Ramsey
Jul 21, 2012

Michelle Obama stepped off an oversized bus on Langdon Street last July and hugged a wide-eyed Barbara Marshall, then thanked her for helping the nation try to end homelessness.

With hundreds of people gathered along the street chanting the familiar "move that bus" refrain, the TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" revealed Jubilee House, a 7,200-square-foot duplex built to shelter homeless women veterans.

It seemed no expense was spared on the house, from dazzling custom art to a soundproof playroom and a backyard greenhouse with a vacuum tube for shooting vegetables directly into one of the home's two kitchens.

But the day after the bus was moved, Jubilee House failed a Veterans Affairs safety inspection because it lacked automatic sprinklers, a controversial provision in nationally recommended standards.

The failed inspection meant Marshall could not receive up to $1,200 a month from the VA for every homeless veteran she took in, money similar organizations say they need to survive.

Jubilee House could still legally open. It met state and local building codes, which don't require indoor sprinklers for single-family homes and duplexes. But without the VA money, Marshall has struggled to keep the lights on during a tough first year with the new house.

The conversation boiled down to two main questions: Does Jubilee House need sprinklers to receive a VA contract? And was "Extreme Makeover" - which VA emails say was notified of the requirement before construction and after - going to install them?
read more here