Noteboom The Law Firm

Pasco County Transitional Housing for Homeless Vets Under Scrutiny

Homelessness is a continuing issue for many veterans in the United States. Homeless veterans typically do not have ready access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care services. For many homeless veterans, transitional housing would provide the extra support they need to ease back into civilian life and employment.

Pasco County is home to many veterans living in the county's numerous homeless camps. Because of the large veteran population in need of help, a local nonprofit organization is attempting to turn a former church into a "veterans resource center," which would be called Home of The Brave.

Constructed as planned, the center would become a 30-bed transitional housing facility. Volunteers would also provide job and marriage counseling along with other services. Although the center will undoubtedly helps dozens of veterans and their families, surrounding residents are less than sold on the idea.

The main concerns from the residents are property values dropping due to the necessary rezoning of the center to agricultural residential with a conditional use, and veterans "wandering the streets" when they are unoccupied. One resident went so far as to reflect that while the residents "have nothing against veterans," they "don't want them in our back yards."

The county's Planning Commission may consider the proposed veterans center in their May meeting. The Commission, however, had reservations about the lack of a solid plan for the center given it would exist in a residential neighborhood. The nonprofit group does have a plan, and is following the VA's guidelines for transitional housing facilities, which includes performing background checks on incoming veterans prior to placement. Despite very structured rules, residents question the ability of the group to safely operate such a facility.