Ribbon-cutting ceremony held for Veterans Villas in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A three-story building on West Beaver Street was the center of attention on Wednesday.

Leaders from the community met to hold a ribbon-cutting in front of The Beaver Street Veterans Villas.

The building was made possible by a public-private partnership between the city and a handful of prominent leaders and groups.

There are 16 apartments inside, and currently there are five veterans living there. One of them is Calvin Reed.

He was in the Army for 8 1/2 years, and said it was easy going into the military but hard coming out.

“You’re capable of making mistakes, you don’t have the protection. I call it being green society,” Reed said.

Leaders said the goal of the housing is to help veterans transition from the streets and give incentives that will help them live independently.

Rent for the apartments is calculated based on income.

Each apartment comes fully furnished, with everything from dishes to appliances to Wi-Fi and cable.

To make it convenient for veterans, the bottom floor will have a Veterans Affairs community resource and referral center.

“All the help is here. It’s a one-stop shop,” Reed said.

Cox Media Group