SPHA Makes Housing Vets Its SOP
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – Housing veterans has become the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA). On Thursday, May 28, SPHA’s Board of Commissioners voted to award 23 vouchers to Boley Centers, Inc. and Catholic Charities, Diocese of St. Petersburg, Inc. to help house local military veterans. The two non-profit organizations were selected from responses to a Project-Based Voucher Request for Proposals (RFP) for Veterans, issued by SPHA earlier this year.
SPHA Chief Executive Officer Darrell Irions said, “As a former Marine, it’s very important to me personally that we take care of our military veterans. No one who has honorably served our country should be left without a roof over his or her head. Our goal is to provide affordable and sustainable housing solutions for these warriors, through all of the programs we operate. ”
The goal of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded Project-Based Voucher program is to expand the availability of higher quality affordable housing units to eligible citizens. While similar in benefits to the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, commonly called Section 8, the vouchers granted to Boley Centers and Catholic Charities are tied to specific housing units at their properties and must be used to make rent affordable for veterans. The 23 vouchers represent approximately $175,000 of annual federal funding for veterans’ housing.
Another federal program, known as HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), is offering even more rental options to local homeless veterans. With a HUD-VASH voucher issued by SPHA, homeless veterans are able to rent private sector housing in St. Petersburg, contingent on their motivation to continue treatment and improve their individual circumstances.
SPHA works closely with the Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), who is responsible for identifying the homeless veterans for potential HUD-VASH participation and providing case management services. SPHA also partners with St. Vincent de Paul, who has a grant to provide funding for additional supportive services for these veterans.
Since 2009, HUD has awarded a total of 275 HUD-VASH vouchers to SPHA, in addition to the regular vouchers allotted to the housing authority’s HCV / Section 8 program. SPHA pays approximately $2.1 million per year through HUD-VASH to house homeless veterans.
As an alternative housing solution, SPHA has plans to build a brick-and-mortar apartment development for wounded veterans and their families. After encountering a gap in funding when working with a private development team, SPHA is now considering other options for the construction, which may include self-financing a 20 to 50 unit accessible apartment community. SPHA plans to commit at least $4 million to this project.
By the numbers:
· Project-Based Vouchers for Veterans – 23 vouchers; approximately $175,000 in annual funding
· HUD-VASH Vouchers for Homeless Veterans – 275 vouchers; approximately $2.1 million in annual funding
· Brick-and-Mortar Development for Wounded Veterans – 20 to 50 units; $4+ million in funding to develop
For more information:
· SPHA’s housing programs, www.stpeteha.org
· The project-based vouchers at Boley Centers, Inc., www.boleycenters.org
· The project-based vouchers at Catholic Charities, www.ccdosp.org
· The eligibility requirements for HUD-VASH, Bay Pine’s VASH Coordinators at 727-398-6661
About St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA): Founded in 1937, SPHA is one of the oldest housing authorities in the nation and is continually rated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a “High Performing” agency. SPHA provides housing assistance to qualifying low-income families within its service area, which includes the City of St. Petersburg and extends in a 10-mile radius outside of city limits. More information about SPHA’s programs and services can be found at www.stpeteha.org.