Milton Brown has been homeless for over 20 years. If it weren’t for programs like the new Veterans Affairs housing contract with Volunteers of America Florida, the 64-year-old U.S. Army Infantry veteran said he wouldn’t have survived.
A new Veterans Affairs contract with Volunteers of America Florida, a nonprofit working to help homeless veterans, will make 18 previously rented beds free for eligible veterans in Gainesville.
The previous program, under a VA Grant Per Diem, required veterans to pay an income-based rent and could house them for up to 12 months. Now, the program is free with a three-month limit. The new program, which operates under a VA Contract Emergency Residential Services, will fund a total of 102 beds across North Florida, including 48 in Tallahassee and 36 in Ocala. The new contract will expire Sept. 30, 2027…