TAMPA, Fla. — For veterans struggling to find affordable housing, the challenge is not always as simple as finding a place to live. For some, it is finding a home in the right location, close to health care, jobs, transportation and other essential services.
The University Area Community Development Corporation on Monday unveiled its newest housing units for veterans, cutting the ribbon on a restored duplex less than two miles from the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.
The home is the latest addition to the Rehab to Restore Hope for Veterans program, a partnership between University Area CDC and AdventHealth that provides veterans with safe, stable housing and access to wellness support.
“Housing, transportation and workforce are all combined. So, if we have trouble having a job, of course it’s hard to pay rent,” said University Area CDC CEO Erica Moody. “In an affordable housing crisis, veterans are feeling it the most to have access to those resources.”
The University Area CDC already operates three apartment complexes in Tampa’s University Area near the VA hospital, which include the Golden Glade, Golden Palm, and Uptown Sky complexes.
The newly unveiled property at 1220 E. 142nd Ave., is the second duplex the organization has purchased, restored and made move-in ready for veterans.
The project was made possible through $225,000 in funding from AdventHealth and another $100,000 from the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Patch with a Purpose program.
“We’re building new housing, and we’re also looking at the existing housing stock and how we can clean up the neighborhood, preserve affordable housing and stabilize the community,” Moody said.
Veterans are identified and placed into the housing program through a formal referral partnership between University Area CDC, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing program and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
VA case managers refer veterans directly to the program after assessing eligibility, housing readiness and individual support needs. From there, eligible veterans enter the application and placement process.