A Houston nonprofit building supervised independent living housing for United States veterans, young adults aging out of Texas foster care, and mothers in recovery with their children.
We are not yet open and are not accepting residents or referrals. Groundwork Living is incorporated in Texas, holds its IRS 501(c)(3) determination, has a seated board and adopted governance, and is planning its first residence. We are targeting a 2027 opening. The program described on this page is our plan, not a service we deliver today.
We were built on a conviction our founder learned firsthand: you can't build anything until the ground stops shaking. Groundwork Living is being built to pair safe, stable housing with the support to get benefits, skills, and momentum in place, at each resident's own pace.
The people we are building this for share one thing: support that ended on a date rather than at readiness.
Men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and are experiencing housing instability or homelessness. Any discharge status considered. The property is substance-free, and housing is not conditioned on sobriety.
Ages 18 to 24 with foster care experience, aging out of or recently left the Texas system, able to live independently in a shared household.
Mothers in recovery, committed to an abstinence-based residence, housed together with their children — never separated. Planned for our second residence, after the first opens.
Groundwork Living will not provide clinical treatment, personal care, or medication administration. Clients who need those services deserve a setting that provides them.
Housing alone does not resolve housing instability. Neither do services without a stable address. Our program is designed so that every resident receives both. This is the model we are building toward; it describes what we will deliver at opening, not services available today.
Photographs on this page are illustrative. They do not depict a Groundwork Living property or Groundwork Living residents.
Every resident will be treated like the author of their own story, because they are.
Photographs are illustrative and do not depict a Groundwork Living property or residents.
"Stabilization is the first key to helping develop and prepare transitioning veterans and young adults aging out of foster care for the life they deserve. Because you can't build anything until the ground stops shaking.
This is why Groundwork Living is so close to my heart. It's about setting the foundation for success for our children, our youth, and our veterans, the people this country made promises to.
I've been on both sides of this, as a child in foster care and as a veteran transitioning, so I know it can be done, and I know you don't do it alone. I'm here to help you see what you've already got, point you in the right direction, and help you grow into it.
Get stable first. Then build. And through all of it, you get treated like you matter, because you do."— Shala, Founder & President, Groundwork Living
No. Groundwork Living is in development and has no residence open. We cannot accept referrals, applications, or residents, and we are not holding a waiting list. If you have a client who needs housing today, please continue working your existing options — we would rather tell you that plainly than take your time.
We are targeting 2027 for our first residence. Securing the property is the gating step. If you join our referral network below, we will tell you when that date firms up.
Veterans experiencing homelessness, young adults aging out of Texas foster care, and — at our second residence — mothers in recovery with their children.
We plan to accept referrals from caseworkers and agencies as well as direct applications. Either way, we will work with your team throughout, not around it.
VA disability compensation and pension, SSVF, SSI/SSDI, Texas PAL Aftercare Room and Board, Education and Training Vouchers, and Extended Foster Care.
No. Groundwork Living will not provide clinical treatment, personal care, or medication administration. Residents who need those services deserve a setting that provides them.
Terms are planned at twelve months, extendable by service plan review, because readiness is not a calendar date. Exit planning will begin at month nine.
Groundwork Living has no residence open and cannot accept clients. Please do not send client information — we are not able to screen or place anyone, and we will not hold identifying details we cannot act on. What we can do is add your agency to our referral network and contact you directly when beds become available.
| Stage | Status |
|---|---|
| 1. Incorporation | Complete. Texas nonprofit corporation, formed July 30, 2026. |
| 2. Federal exemption | Complete. IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter dated August 12, 2026, effective July 30, 2026. |
| 3. Governance | Complete. Board seated, bylaws and conflict of interest policy adopted. |
| 4. First residence | In progress. Property not yet secured. |
| 5. Opening and referrals | Targeted for 2027. We will contact our referral network before we accept the first placement. |
| Legal name | Groundwork Living, a Texas nonprofit corporation |
|---|---|
| Federal status | Tax exempt under IRC Section 501(c)(3), determination letter dated August 12, 2026, effective July 30, 2026. Public charity under Section 509(a)(2). Contributions are tax deductible. |
| Contact | info@groundworkliving.org |
Our determination letter and exemption application are available for public inspection as federal law requires. Ask and we will provide them.