More Info
People interested in renting to veterans or those who want more information can go to chattanooga.gov/veterans
Mayor Andy Berke speaks to local landlords interested in housing homeless veterans about the need for affordable housing options.For 15 years, local veteran Johnny Newsome slept in other people’s homes, in shelters and on park benches.
But shortly after he began working with Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, he started to believe that he could have a place to call his own.
“Having housing would be life changing,” said Newsome, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps at the end of the Vietnam War era. “My ultimate goal is to use my VA loan to purchase a house.”
The 59-year-old is joined by 10 other local servicemen who have housing vouchers in hand, but no landlords who will rent to them. In an effort to address that problem, Chattanooga will host its second landlord information session today. It is hoped the session will help to achieve the city’s goal of housing all homeless veterans by the end of this year – part of a nationwide initiative called Zero:2016.
At the meeting, Housing Coordinator Heather Hoffman and Mayor Andy Berke will present information about renting to veterans.
“Help us complete our goal of ending veteran homelessness in Chattanooga,” Hoffman said.
Renting to veterans with housing vouchers provides landlords the security that the government portion of rent will be paid. Landlords will also have a person who will assist them with problems concerning a tenant.
Renting to veterans also gives landlords an opportunity to give back to the community, said Hoffman.
One landlord who attended the city’s first session 18 months ago said the city should do more, like reduce property taxes for landlords, to encourage housing for veterans.
“They’re asking landlords to do their part. It seems the city could do their part too and give some reduction in property taxes,” said a landlord.
The property owner said homeless veterans present a different set of challenges in that several veterans suffer mental health issues, health issues and drug addictions that a landlord may not have with a typical tenant.
Property Owner and Vietnam War Veteran Gary Ball plans to attend the information session today and said he wants to help.
“A lot of [veterans] have fallen on hard times, usually because of scars they carry from those events,” said Ball.
But he questions why the city doesn’t enter into partnerships with developers to build affordable housing for veterans.
He worked with the AIM center to build three houses for people with mental health challenges and those with intellectual disabilities like autism.
He said their partnership benefited from federal housing funds, which enable Ball’s company, Tower Construction, to rent the properties as affordable housing for 20 years, said Ball.
Chattanooga started keeping a list of homeless veterans in January 2015, with 80 veterans documented by name. At one point, the list included more than 100 people. Since then, the city has housed 188 veterans, said Hoffman. It needs to accommodate only 41 more veterans to have all listed homeless veterans housed.
Once Newsome finds a house, he said he wants to write books of poetry and short stories.
The information session begins at 11 a.m. at Chattanooga City Hall, 101 E. 11th St . The city is providing free lunch to anyone who attends.
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or (423) 757-6431.