SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — Sarasota is taking a major step towards dealing with the housing crisis facing veterans of the housing crisis in Florida.
The Heroes Village held its official ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday morning.
The mural on the side of the housing complex showed four different branches of the military. The murals showed that the complex was for those who served our country.
News Channel 8 roamed the new complex along 25th Avenue and found a wall with a strong message. It takes the village.
The people behind the Heroes village said many people gathered to make this affordable project come true.
John Tuxton of the Gulf Community Foundation said some of the donors were veterans themselves.
“They just gave each time, they understood the financial situation, understood the needs of the veterans, and generously gave them,” Tuxton said.
The Department of Housing and Community Development and the Sarasota City Commission also played a major role in cutting ribbons.
The goal is to help veterans save money while they live there. So you can finally move to your own location.
While living in the village, they will pay less than 30% of their income to the home.
“It saves them some money and allows them to spend money on healthcare, vocational training, transportation and more.
There are 10 units in total, all of which are built to accommodate two veterans with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a shared kitchen.
There are also community spaces such as lawns and laundry rooms.
“It’s a dignified residential complex where we can move these veterans, they’ll be proud of where they live, they’ll be proud of their country, they’ll be proud of their community, and I think Heroes Village is making that mark,” Tuxton said.
Tuxton says there is a great need for this type of housing in the north of the county, and they are happy to help us give back to our nation’s heroes.
“They may have their families here. They may have their jobs here. Their places of worship are here. We don’t want to move them out of the social infrastructure that stabilizes them,” Tuxton said.
The Gulf Community Foundation is not planning to halt in this one residential complex.
“As soon as the champagne is caulked and my glasses are put away, my boss will tell me, do it again, and I will be happy,” Tuxton said.
Thaxton said the project will serve as a model for others in the area and will move veterans over the summer.
St. Vincent DePaul Cares, a nonprofit specializing in veteran housing, will be responsible for screening and qualifying and lease execution.
