Groundbreaking held for Sarasota’s first veterans housing development

Michelle Shields was intrigued when she saw an empty lot under preparation on the site of 1529 and 1539 25th St., across the road from her house.

She was also excited when she found out what was planned to be built there.

Later, Shields headed outside for the groundbreaking ceremony in honor of Sarasota’s first affordable housing project for veterans, held by Gulf Coast Community Foundation and St. Vincent de Paul Cares, on Oct. 30.

The $2 million project marks the start of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Veterans Housing Initiative, for which it partnered with the Office of Housing and Community Development of Sarasota County to leverage $400,000 in support of the project. 

“This is going to benefit so many people,” Shields said.

She noted that after she encouraged her brother Dexter Johnson, who died two years ago, to apply for his veteran benefits and he gained his own place to live, she saw his wellbeing improve dramatically. 

The units will be managed by St. Vincent de Paul Cares, a social services organization focused on homelessness, which acquired the property through a vote by the Sarasota City Commission in January 2022.

Other community members also contributed to the project, which began through a donation of $400,000 by Peter Soderberg of the Peter and Elsa Soderberg Charitable Foundation and Skip and Gail Sack of the Sack Family Foundation.

The groundbreaking also featured speeches by Gulf Coast Community Foundation President and CEO Phillip P. Lanham, St. Vincent de Paul Cares Chief Executive Officer Michael Raposa, city of Sarasota Mayor Kyle Battie and U.S. Rep. Greg Steube.

Photo by Ian Swaby

The development is the first housing project in Sarasota that will actively seek out veterans, said Jon Thaxton, director of community investment with GCCF, and its first area of focus will be North County veterans facing housing insecurity.

“For stable housing, you want to keep the tenant in their neighborhood, where they worship, where they work, where their family support is, where they're familiar, where they're comfortable,” he said. 

The 10-unit complex could potentially house two tenants in some units, Thaxton said, noting the foundation has identified about 100 individuals who could occupy the development.

He said the hope is that veterans will be able to use the opportunity, which will require them to pay 30% of their income, to stabilize themselves and grow, eventually moving into market-rate housing. 

To date, Gulf Coast Community Foundation has invested over $7.5 million into issues related to homelessness and affordable housing in Sarasota County, Thaxton said.

Raposa also offered compliments to the efforts of multiple organizations and individuals in advancing the project. 

Photo by Ian Swaby

“Our work alone could never ever make this happen, and please know that on behalf of St. Vincent de Paul, we are grateful to the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and also the Community Foundation, and the general people in Sarasota for making this possible,” he said. 

Raposa said since 2018, when the organization, which serves 19 counties, began working in Sarasota County, it has served over 1,238 individuals with 916 houses, including 4,133 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Steube, U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district and a veteran, said the development would fill an important need in the community.

“Being a veteran is challenging for some, and having low income and not having opportunities when they get out of services, sometimes that transition is very challenging for them and they find themselves in those middle income type scenarios where this exact place will be of benefit to them and a blessing to them, at a time when they need it the most,” he said. 

The effort is also being supported by the Home Depot Foundation, whose staff Raposa called “very, very excited to be part of the project," which he said is one of the foundation's first investments in the Sarasota area.