PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Pasco County officials marked a major step forward in the effort to end veteran homelessness with the opening of Magnolia Oaks, the county housing authority’s first community built exclusively for low-income veterans.
The development opened after seven years of planning and includes nearly 80 units, a community center, and a swimming pool. It is located less than two miles from the Veterans Affairs clinic on Little Road.
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Army veteran Samantha Vrbancic tells Tampa Bay 28 stable housing changed the direction of her life after years of addiction following her military service.
“I was addicted to opiates for many years. Then I found myself in the methamphetamine era. And that completely ruined my life,” Vrbancic said.
She credited several Pasco County programs, including Veterans Court, for helping her get treatment and secure a home for herself and her daughter.
“This is the first time I’ve signed a lease for five years in a row. Just signed my 5th one. So, that’s very. It’s just life changing,” she said.
Vrbancic said she is excited to see Magnolia Oaks open because it offers the kind of long term stability that helped her rebuild her life. The project is part of the county’s goal to reach what it calls functional zero which means no veteran in Pasco County experiences homelessness.
Vrbancic now works with other veterans through Warrior Wellness and said she sees firsthand the need for affordable and secure housing.
“I want to be able to refer people there. I want to be able to work with those veterans who are there to help them understand that I’m one of you. I was at rock bottom. I was living in a shed behind somebody's home. Pregnant at the time,” she said.
The proximity to the VA clinic and the availability of community resources make Magnolia Oaks especially valuable for veterans trying to maintain stability.
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