Gulf Coast Community Foundation Regional Scans have continually identified a critical need for affordable housing. Veterans are the backbone of our country who protect our freedom through courage, strength, and dedication. We value the significance of caring for our military heroes. No one should be left behind. 1.5 million veterans call Florida home. According to our community’s most recent “point in time” survey, on average there are over 100 homeless veterans right here in our community. One homeless veteran is too many. Our community has a robust network of veteran service organizations, but few offer assistance for housing.
The need is clear - safe, permanent, veteran’s housing in Sarasota.
Together with Gulf Coast donors Peter Soderberg of the Peter and Elsa Soderberg Charitable Foundation and Skip and Gail Sack of the Sack Family Foundation, we had our first catalytic gift in the amount of $400,000, and more importantly, trust and support to turn this vision into a reality.
Ongoing Need
Gulf Coast partnered with the Office of Housing and Community Development to leverage $400,000 public dollars they had available to support this project. Together, we identified potential parcels of vacant, city-owned land and began the process to identify an agency to manage the future complex. St. Vincent de Paul CARES was selected as a nonprofit with a successful track record of building and operating affordable housing for veterans.
With the support of local leaders, veterans, Congressman Vern Buchanan, and Congressman Greg Steube, we presented the project before the Sarasota City Commission on January 17. Our goal: a 5-0 vote to approve the use of their vacant land parcels as a foundation for our Veteran's Housing initiative.
Six short months later, we received the final step in our approval process to make this project a reality. The Citizens Planning Commission unanimously approved the project on July 12. On October 30, 2023, we broke ground on Sarasota's first veterans housing project.
As of April 2024, the Sarasota Continuum of Care (network of providers) have identified 82 homeless US Veterans on the wait list to receive housing services. As of May 2024, St. Vincent de Paul CARES (SVdP CARES) has 83 US Veterans enrolled in its Rapid Rehousing program (RRH), and 19 in its Prevention program for Sarasota County.
The Solution: Heroes' Village, Sarasota County's first Veteran's Housing Initiative.
Our vision for Heroes’ Village is to provide permanent, dignified, and safe housing with long term professional, loving, and caring case management services for US Veterans and their families escaping the trauma of homelessness.
Heroes Village will create ten, two-bedroom, rental units in the City of Sarasota for US Veterans and their families, providing long-awaited, permanent, supportive, and affordable housing for our country’s heroes.
The program and construction management of this 10-unit building will be over-seen and managed by SVdP CARES, a nonprofit whose vision is to create a community with an improved quality of life for all by eliminating poverty and homelessness.
Together We Do More
Projects like this do not happen in isolation. To date, together with $300,000 in Board directed grants, we have over $1M in commitments from generous donors and partners to this project. While we know the need will continue to grow, we know that we have additional donors who stand ready to help.
With partners, a supportive community, and local government, Gulf Coast is transforming housing for veterans in need. This transitional housing can mean the difference between giving our veterans a place to call home or surviving a night on the streets.
To learn more about how you can make an impact, contact your philanthropic advisor or any member of our Philanthropy Team here, or give now here, simply select "Veteran's Housing Initiative" from the dropdown menu.