ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The St. Johns Housing Partnership (SJHP) took part in a dedication and flag-raising ceremony at Patriot Place, a new housing option for at-risk veterans in St. Johns County, on Tuesday.
The six-unit apartment community is currently under construction at 79 Masters Dr. in St. Augustine. It will be administered by Flagler Health+’s social health program, Care Connect+, which links area residents with resources like safe housing, food pantries, counseling services, workplace readiness and transportation.
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Patriot Place has been more than three years in the making, including finding and purchasing an appropriate lot; securing financing for construction; and permitting and zoning regulations, according to a release
“For years, our local veterans’ office has struggled to help local veterans who need a one-bedroom apartment to remain living in St. Johns County,” said St. Johns Housing Partnership Executive Director Bill Lazar. “Our hope is that this unique partnership with Flagler Health+ will provide a level of case management and stability for our residents to get back on their feet. This is an effort to thank them for their service and stand by them while they integrate back into the community.”
Lazar said getting homeless vets on the path to affordable housing is just one of the goals of the St. Johns Housing Partnership in its collaboration with the Flagler Health+ and MountainStar Capital.
The total cost of the Patriot Place project, including the purchase of land, lot preparation, design and construction is estimated at $900,000. Ponte Vedra Beach-based MountainStar Capital purchased the land for $100,000 and donated it to the project.
The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the state’s leading certifier of green residential and commercial construction, land developments and local governments, announced that Patriot Place will be certified FGBC “Florida Green.”
According to Lazar the one-bedroom apartments will measure 630 square feet and each veteran will pay about 30% of market rate with the balance subsidized through SJHP fundraising efforts.
SJHP has been creating safe, clean, affordable housing in North Florida since 1996.
To donate to Patriot Place contact Bill Lazar at (904) 824-0902 or blazar@sjhp.org.