Victory Gardens

Affordable supportive housing development for homeless veterans.

Victory Gardens, a housing project for homeless veterans, was completed in Fall 2022 and is fully occupied as of March 2023. This development would not have been possible without critical financing from State Veteran Housing and Homelessness Prevention (VHHP) funds and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The VHHP funds will cover $6.8 million of the costs. It was the first time in the history of the VHHP program that a San Joaquin County project was awarded these funds. With the VHHP funds and $19.6 million in federal tax credits, the major funding required for this $27 million project is completed.

“No one who has served our country should be without a roof over their heads or a place to call home,” declared Kathy Miller, Chair of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. “In 2019, the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the goal of ending veteran homelessness in San Joaquin County by 2025. Victory Gardens will go a long way in achieving that goal.”

In partnership with San Joaquin County, HACSJ developed Victory Gardens on 2.5 acres of County-owned land in French Camp, near San Joaquin General Hospital. Victory Gardens contains 49 units of deeply affordable housing, including amenities such as a community garden, a common area for socializing, and a computer room with high-speed internet. Located near San Joaquin General Hospital, public transportation, and with the regional Veterans Administration Community Based Outpatient Clinic nearby, Victory Gardens aims to improve the quality of life for homeless veterans who have struggled with issues of mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness since leaving military service. Victory Gardens vastly improves access to housing and healthcare for our most vulnerable former service members by bringing these essential services together in one location.

In addition to the donated land, the project received Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds from the County. HACSJ will also contribute rental assistance funds through a HUD-VASH program, a form of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers specifically for veterans.

“On any given night in San Joaquin County, there are around 140 homeless veterans living in shelters and on the streets,” stated HACSJ Executive Director Peter Ragsdale. “With the construction of the new VA Clinic, this is not only the right time to aggressively pursue funding to house our homeless vets, but also the right location. The combination of affordable housing and adjacent quality healthcare will make Victory Gardens a success for these deserving heroes.”