CLIFFORD OTO/THE STOCKTON RECORD
Ben Irwin’s article, Veterans permanent supportive housing Victory Gardens showcased, in The Record discusses the Victory Gardens project. The San Joaquin county board of supervisors adopted the goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2025 and Victory Gardens is set to be an influential factor in achieving this goal.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
Victory Gardens, a permanent supportive housing development in French Camp for unhoused veterans, is officially — almost — open.
The latest project from the Housing Authority of the County of San Joaquin (HACSJ) and the county harbors 49 one- and two-bedroom apartments for homeless veterans. Once occupants are moved in — Peter Ragsdale, executive director of HACSJ said a snag with PG&E is the holdup — Victory Gardens will house roughly 100 homeless veterans and their loved ones and pets.
“We take people as they come,” Ragsdale said. “Homeless, mental health challenges, addiction … its housing with services.”
Rent is capped at 30% of income. If an occupant has no income, rent will be around $50, Ragsdale said. Eligible occupants are veterans eligible for Veterans Affairs medical benefits — generally those with an honorable discharge — at which point they’d have a licensed social worker to help them be successful in housing, Ragsdale said. Five units are also for regular housing choice vouchers, which Ragsdale said allows them to house veterans who have a dishonorable discharge or other service-related challenges that may cause them to leave the military without full benefits.
2021:SJ Housing Authority breaks ground on affordable units for homeless veterans
Victory Gardens is strategically located near San Joaquin General Hospital, the future regional VA community-based outpatient clinic under construction visible from I-5 and close to public transportation. Built on 2.5 acres of county-owned land, the project is a public-private partnership between the housing authority, its nonprofit arm Delta Community Developers Corp., DFA Development and San Joaquin County.