They Allege Property Seizure and Unfair Treatment
Nationwide — The famed Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project known as the “Jubilee House,” completed in July 2011 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is at the center of a growing controversy. The home, originally purchased for $25,000 by Barbara Summey Marshall and Maya V. Louise Marshall, two African American women veterans, was part of a ministry and housing outreach launched in 2005 to support homeless veterans. Now, over a decade later, those same veterans allege that their property and mission were wrongfully targeted and dismantled by state officials.
The rebuild of their original home by ABC’s Extreme Makeover in partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama brought national attention, but according to the Marshalls, it also marked the beginning of legal and public attacks.
Barbara, a U.S. Navy veteran and chaplain, and Maya, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, began offering transitional housing and spiritual support to homeless women veterans. Using their VA compensation benefits and personal funds, they acquired three VA foreclosed homes to expand their outreach.
The women claim they were subjected to what they describe as a “media lynching” by The Fayetteville Observer, a campaign of “character assassination,” and what they allege was a malicious prosecution by the State of North Carolina. They specifically name Heather Black of the Charitable Solicitation Licensing Section as a key figure in what they call a targeted effort to discredit them. According to the veterans, their refusal to accept state or federal funds drew criticism and retaliation from officials, including then-Attorney General Roy Cooper, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, and Attorney General Josh Stein.
In a particularly controversial moment, Barbara Marshall was jailed for five days for allegedly refusing to turn over the names of women served by the ministry. The veterans further allege that their fully paid properties were seized without fair reimbursement, despite investing over $100,000 of their own savings into the initiative. They maintain that no public funds were ever used for the properties or services they offered.
Despite these setbacks, the Marshalls say they remain committed to their mission. Today, they continue providing temporary housing, pastoral care, support for formerly incarcerated women, and assistance with VA benefits and compensation for veterans in need.
The situation remains a powerful reminder of the challenges some veterans face not just in service, but in their efforts to serve others.
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