The Arnott-Haber House, a historic building in the Town of Montgomery, will soon open its doors and provide temporary shelter for homeless veterans under a new lease with Mental Health America of Dutchess County, a nonprofit organization.

The Haber House was originally built in 1820 near the intersection of Route 17K and Route 747, where James Arnott and his family lived for decades. In 2020, the house was completely moved to accommodate an Amazon warehouse proposed for the site. At that time, the community brainstormed new purposes for the structure.

In 2022, the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation, a nonprofit that services veterans and premature babies, was going to utilize the building to house homeless veterans. This agreement fell through, however, in May 2023, after Sharon Toney-Finch, YIK’s founder, fabricated a story about homeless veterans being kicked out of a Newburgh hotel to shelter asylum seekers. No displacement had occurred at the hotel, and the organization allegedly paid nonveterans to act the part.

Presently, the Haber House will serve homeless veterans under a new provider: Mental Health America of Dutchess County. During the Town of Montgomery’s January 17 meeting, the board approved a resolution to leash the property to MHA for $1 annually. Andy O’Grady, CEO of MHA, signed his end of the agreement last Thursday.
“The Haber was meant for housing veterans. The Town approached Mental Health America of Dutchess to use the building for that purpose, O’Grady said, adding that MHA was “ the last piece” to the town’s plans.

MHA, a nonprofit founded in 1954 and located in Poughkeepsie, promotes mental wellness and provides treatment and support for mental illnesses. Of its initiatives, the organization seeks to help veterans and their families with housing, employment, and suicidal prevention.

“We have a Vet2Vet program, we have vocational services, and we have support groups,” O’Grady said.

The Haber House will comprise an MHA office and three bedrooms that can house veterans for up to six months; O’Grady specified that the building will not be a community residence. Additionally, MHA will work with the neighboring Amazon warehouse and offer employment opportunities to these veterans.

O’Grady stated that most of the property’s renovations are completed and estimated that, once the painting is finished, the building’s operations will commence this March 1.