An additional 27 homeless military veterans in Jacksonville will get help paying rent thanks to an extra $149,040 from the federal government.
The Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs are partners in a housing-assistance and support program called HUD-VASH to assist the most vulnerable veterans.
Local HUD-VASH manager Shawn Liu said VA medical staff will identify those most in need.
“A lot of the veterans we’re working with, who are in need especially of permanent supported housing, are folks from the Vietnam era and the post-Vietnam era," he said. "So we’re still running into veterans with PTSD, with schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, drug and alcohol addiction.”
Once the veterans are identified, the Jacksonville Housing Authority will give them rental vouchers. Larry Gonzalez, Vice President of JHA’s Housing Assistance Division, said most of those vouchers will likely be for single-bedroom apartments.
“And they’re based on the fair-market rents here in Jacksonville. The voucher would probably be anywhere between $700 and $850.
Gonzalez said, with the new funds, the program will reach a total of 562 homeless veterans in Jacksonville.
