Former homeless veteran rebuilding his NO 7th Ward house to shelter eight

Stephen Corley hasn't lived on the streets for a decade. But autumn still reminds him of the sorrow that comes with having no place to call your own, only heightened by the chill in the air and the holidays on the calendar.

"This time of the year, the homeless problem is the worst problem in the world to have," said Corley, as he surveyed the 7th Ward house he is rebuilding for homeless veterans in New Orleans. "You're depressed. You want to be able to sit at a table with a clean shirt and pants and eat turkey and dressing."

Corley, 54, started the nonprofit We Care Outreach Community Development Corp. in 2004 as a way to help distressed, homeless military veterans rebuild their lives. Hurricane Katrina wiped out his eastern New Orleans shelter on Flake Street, which had helped about 20 veterans since it opened in 2001. So this year, Corley is repairing his own flooded house with plans to offer supportive housing for up to eight veterans.