Soldier On sounds like a near-perfect fit, in the right place and at the right time.
Over the past five years, Volusia County has made significant strides toward solving the problems of homelessness. Hope Place, a Daytona Beach facility for families with children and unaccompanied youth, opened earlier this year. The Neighborhood Center in West Volusia is adding crisis beds and a day center in DeLand, and the county is making progress — albeit slow progress — toward a centrally located, 100-bed shelter known as “First Step.”
But the next step for those shelter residents remains a question mark — even though most local experts agree that the best option for homeless people is long-term housing. The concept known as “Housing First” moves people into long-term living arrangements as quickly as possible, with the understanding that services such as addiction treatment, mental-health counseling and employment assistance work better when someone has stable living quarters.
Finding those long-term accommodations can be a real challenge, especially in a hot housing market where affordable apartments are highly sought after, and rents are rising. Close to 40 percent of households in Volusia and Flagler counties have income that is barely enough (and sometimes inadequate) to meet the needs of daily living.
That makes a proposal by Soldier On, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that specializes in low-cost, long-term housing for formerly homeless veterans, highly appealing. The organization is scouting locations in Daytona Beach for an apartment/townhome complex that could house as many as 100 people transitioning from homelessness.
The current favorite: a 12-acre parcel on George Engram Boulevard east of Nova Road. The land, currently owned by the Daytona Beach Housing Authority, could be a good fit for the kind of complex Soldier On is talking about building — in fact, it’s likely to be an attractive addition to the neighborhood. When The News-Journal’s Eileen Zaffiro-Kean checked on facilities Soldier On operates in Massachusetts, she heard only good things. Part of Soldier On’s model includes encouraging its residents to put down roots, and even acquire an ownership stake in the apartments they occupy.
Soldier On began as a veterans-service organization, but this facility would accept adults who aren’t veterans as well. And it’s already signed an agreement with the First Step shelter that would give people transitioning from there first priority for the new apartments — an agreement that does not include any pledge of financial support from First Step.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of the proposed complex is the network of support services it could provide. One obvious and immediate benefit: Soldier On residents live in a community of people who understand what it’s like to transition back into housing after being on the streets. The new complex would also provide wraparound services such as case management, mental health counseling and health care, transportation — even assistance with food and other essentials.
It sounds like a near-perfect fit, in the right place and at the right time. Certainly, it’s something community leaders should investigate more fully — and if it’s as good as it looks, go after with gusto.
There are hurdles. The George Engram property has deed restrictions that will have to be navigated. But such a large piece of property, with proximity to the hospital and Daytona State College, make it a uniquely attractive location worth jumping through legal hoops for. There also may be community push-back if the project isn’t fully explained to area residents — just as there was when the former Hurst Elementary School was converted into Hope Place.
But Volusia County leaders, particularly those who have taken the time to familiarize themselves with what Soldier On proposes, are understandably enthusiastic about having a facility like this in Daytona Beach. It could be a significant asset in the area’s effort to curb homelessness.