Page 1 - The Shores of Jupiter - February '19

The Shores, Page 1

Our Village Voice

VOL. 30 NO. 2 www.seabreezepublications.com FEBRUARY 2019

Commissioner’s Update Bill’s Box

Serving Those Who Sacrificed Currently, Palm Beach County Veterans Services assist By Bill Thompson

For Us veterans in the areas of compensation and pensions, Situation
medical care, aid and attendant services, burial benefits,
It is nearly 10 p.m. on
and documentation relating to homestead exemptions and Jan. 21. I must arise at 4:45
By Commissioner income verification. This includes efforts to draw down a.m. to get to the hospital
Hal Valeche $4.5 million in annual benefits for veterans. by an ungodly time of 6:30
It is an honor to call myself The rising cost of housing and the expiration of a.m. for surgery to replace
a military veteran, having affordability restrictions on existing affordable housing is my left knee. Pre-op matters
served as a Navy fighter playing a huge role in the increase of homeless veterans. have made January hell. This
pilot in the Vietnam War. Palm Beach County recently approved HUD funding issue of our newsletter is more skimpy by far than any
My service required taking and impact fee credits to leverage private and nonprofit on record in recorded history – 25-plus years. I expect a
great risks and executing investments for the construction of Village of Valor, a good outcome and short recovery. Therefore, I hope to
dangerous missions; 148-unit rental development in Lake Worth. The Faith make a better showing for March.
however, I know that troops Hope Love Charity veteran organization is spearheading Annual Membership Meeting
serving in ground combat the project, where units will be available to very low to Feb. 21 – 6 p.m., at the Jupiter Community Center,
experience a very different level of stress and uncertainty. moderate-income persons with a priority given to veterans 200 Military Trail. If you are interested in how our village
Sadly, yet understandably, many combat veterans suffer and their families, including the disabled, homeless, and works, come to the meeting.
severe emotional scars that contribute to struggles with those at-risk of homelessness. That’s It
addiction, mental illness, or homelessness. Solutions require an ongoing partnership with My sight is blurred, I’m tired. Energy spent. Can’t
The most recent manual count of homeless in Palm Beach government, service provider agencies and private think. Quitting for today. Full speed ahead next month.
County revealed a significant increase in homeless veterans. industry. Another program offered in the county is March copy deadline Feb. 13.
At least 50 percent of those veterans counted are over the S.M.A.R.T. Landlord, which recruits property owners
age of 50, served in Vietnam, and have medical needs. I to make efficiencies, studios and multiple bedroom
units renting at or below Fair Market Value available
am working with County Human Resources and Veterans to extremely low-income families and individuals. Northern Notes
Services staff, along with our community service providers
and the local Veterans Administration Medical Center in Participating in the program with homeless service
Riviera Beach (VA) to enhance our services to veterans and providers offers the following benefits: Living With Coyotes
place them in housing. • Support – Landlords support the community by
The housing authorities in this county work with the offering housing at fair market value. By O’Neal Bardin, Jr.
VA to secure Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) • Marketing – Landlords save costs on marketing and Executive Director,
vouchers from the Department of Housing and Urban advertising since there is a list of clients ready to move in. Northern Palm Beach
Development (HUD), which currently help house more • Assistance – Every tenant has a case manager who County Improvement
than 450 local veterans and their families. HUD will not provides help to the client and is the landlord’s immediate District
release more vouchers without adequate social workers on point of contact. A local news station
staff with the VA to handle the cases. The Board of County • Rent – Landlords receive timely rent payments recently ran a segment
Commissioners urged our U.S. Senators to support federal facilitated by the organization placing the tenant. on coyote sightings in the
legislation to increase VA staffing and make more VASH • Tenant – Landlords always have a tenant and this Palm Beach and West Palm
vouchers available to our veterans, prompting the filing of reduces vacancies. Beach area and residents in
Senate Bill S. 2750. Additionally, the county plans to invest a portion our area have commented
On Jan. 3, the County Commission along with the of infrastructure sales tax dollars to retrofit surplus on coyote sightings in the
Homeless and Housing Alliance kicked off our Functional county properties into permanent supportive cottages for past, especially around
Zero campaign to end veteran homelessness in Palm Beach families. dusk and dawn. The following information is from a
County. Functional Zero is a coordinated and efficient For more information on homeless and veterans services publication by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
community system designed to ensure that homelessness is in Palm Beach County visit http://discover.pbcgov.org/ Comm i ssi on
rare, brief and nonrecurring, and will require an organized communityservices/humanservices and as always, if there (FWC) and the
approach of resources and programs. The goal of the is any way that my office can assist you, please contact me University of
campaign is to serve 100 veterans in 111 days. at (561) 355-2201 or by email at hvaleche@pbcgov.org. Florida/Institute
of Food and
Agricultural
Notice Annual Membership Meeting Sciences.
It provides
information on
Feb. 21 at 6 p.m.

Jupiter Community Center, Northern Notes on page 5

200 Military Trail, Jupiter

Call Jupiter Police
Department
immediately
to report suspicious activity.
(561) 799-4445.
The sooner called
the sooner they can help.
911 is for emergencies only.
Keep cars and house locked.