Victory Gardens
Victory Gardens
French Camp, CA
Type of Development
New Construction
Veteran
Year Built
2022
Development Profile
41 One-Bedroom Units
7 Two-Bedroom Units
Unit Size
500–700 Square Feet
Buildings
10
Summary
Affordable Supportive Housing Developed for Homeless Veterans
In partnership with San Joaquin County, HACSJ has 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, the regional Veterans Administration Community Based Outpatient Clinic, and public transportation, 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.
“On any given night in San Joaquin County, there are around 140 homeless veterans living in shelters and on the streets,” states 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.”
“No one who has served our country should be without a roof over their heads or a place to call home,” adds 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.”
Victory Gardens was completed in Fall 2022 and is fully occupied as of March 2023.
Funding
The development of Victory Gardens would not have been possible without critical financing from the State Veteran Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program (VHHP), covering $6.8 million of the costs. It was the first time in the history of the VHHP that a San Joaquin County project received this type of award. These funds in addition to $19.6 million in Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits have provided the major funding required for this $27 million project.
Other funding includes a ground lease from San Joaquin County (SJC), SJC HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds, California Emergency Shelter Housing (CESH) funds, and a Community Development Block Grant.
In addition, HACSJ contributes rental assistance through the HUD-VASH Program, a form of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers specifically for veterans.