Pinellas County Housing Authority Continues to Assist Veterans With Housing Opportunities

PCHA staff Cheryl Ponds (left) and Karen Brodess (right) assisted a large number of Veterans at the VA Stand Down, helping to promote the HUD-VASH program and the assistance that PCHA provides.

Pinellas County Housing Authority (PCHA) recently participated in the 2016 C.W. Bill Young VA “Stand Down”.  C.W. Bill Young hosts the event annually to help provide services to homeless veterans, or veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Services and service providers included food, toiletries, clothing, information about benefits, housing and legal advice, employment assistance, as well as access to medical care and hot showers.  PCHA staff was there to provide information about housing and to provide assistance with navigating the application process. Individual case management services are provided by outstanding VA staff dedicated to providing case management to homeless veterans. 

In addition, as a funding partner for the project, PCHA recently participated in the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the newly constructed Duval Park community for veterans and their families.  Duval Park was developed by Blue Sky Communities and Boley Centers.  PCHA provided project-based vouchers in support of this new community.

Speakers at the grand opening event included: Shawn Wilson, President of Blue Sky Communities; Jeff Brandes, Florida State Senator; Kathleen Peters, Florida State Representative; Kenneth T. Welch, Pinellas County Commissioner; John David Hawthorne Jr., Florida Housing Finance Corporation Board of Directors; Angela Rouson, Vice-Chair, Pinellas County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners; Paul Thielberger, Chair of ServiceSource Board of Directors; David Atkinson, a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force and resident of Duval Park; and Sandy Incorvia, Chair of Boley Centers Board of Directors.

To find out more about Duval Park, please visit their website at www. DuvalPark.com

PCHA currently assists over 600 veterans, including formerly homeless veterans, through a variety of rental assistance programs.