Voucher program provides essential housing to veterans in need

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Robert Goddard is proud of his two-bedroom Clearwater apartment. 

It's a stark difference from where he was in 1970, back home in Maine after serving as a medic in the United States Army. 

"I was, you know, drinking heavily. I attempted suicide and I ended up at the VA hospital in Augusta, Maine," Goddard said. 

After receiving help, Goddard moved to St. Petersburg and got a job at Derby Lane, a poker hall, where he worked for 15 years. 

Until 2021, Goddard was bouncing around low-income apartments in downtown St. Pete and was essentially homeless. 

"One day we got a notice.  When I got home, there's a letter there saying that we had two weeks to move out," Goddard said. "Everybody panics, me included, because where the hell are you going to go?"

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That’s when Veterans Affairs at Bay Pines stepped up to help Goddard, providing him with a temporary room at St. Vincent De Paul's Center for Hope in St. Pete. 

Goddard was eligible for temporary housing through a voucher program provided by HUD-VASH, the VA’s supportive housing program. 

Bruce Mizener, HUD-VASH supervisor, says that the organization meets homeless veterans "where they’re at" and that they "help them (homeless veterans) with acquiring a housing voucher through our partners with the local housing authorities."

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Mizener says that for veterans to be eligible for the program they need "to be literally homeless with a disabling condition." 

Through the same voucher program, Bay Pines then helped Robert move into a permanent apartment.

"When she opened the door and I walked in, I was stunned. I knew they were going to help me financially, but I didn't think it would be to this extent," Goddard said.  

Goddard pays $245 a month of his $1,300 rent. The VA picks up the rest. Robert says it's a huge benefit for someone living off social security alone. 

"If it wasn't for this program, I wouldn't be living here. I don't know where I'd be. Maybe on the street."

Goddard wants to spread awareness of the HUD-VASH program, so other veterans can find the same peace of mind he has. 

"It takes all that weight off of having a secure and safe place to live," he says.

If you, or anyone you know, might benefit from the VA's housing program, call the their hilltop 1-877-4AID-VET, or visit their website here.

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