Printer Friendly Page
FLORIDA DEVELOPER FINDS DISABLED VETERAN CONDO
GIVEAWAY NOT EASY -- Finding a veteran who
qualifies
for his "Home for a Local Hero" program has
proven
to be harder than he thought.
Condos at Savannah Square
Story here...
http://www.sun-sentinel.
com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl
-pvetcondojun03,0,4957067.
story?coll=sfla-news-palm
Story below:
-------------------------
Wellington-based developer finds disabled vet
condo giveaway not easy
Privacy laws complicating applicant search
By Maria Herrera
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
All Albert Boyd wanted to do was give a condominium to a disabled
veteran of the Iraq or Afghanistan war.
But finding one who qualifies for his "Home for a Local Hero" program
has proven to be harder than he thought.
"I was surprised to find there weren't more applications for this
giveaway," Boyd said.
The Wellington-based Boyd develops themed small communities. His latest,
a 38-unit townhouse community inspired by Savannah, Ga., features a unit
reserved for a disabled veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation
Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
The townhouse, near Haverhill and Lake Worth roads, will eventually be
customized to meet the needs of the disabled veteran picked during a
Veterans Day drawing Nov. 11. The condos would sell between $190,000 and
$290,000, and Boyd said he has pre-sold 11.
"I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring attention to the
sacrifices the troops and their families go through," Boyd said.
But because of federal privacy laws, Boyd and a committee of Vietnam
Veterans and National Guardsmen are having problems finding eligible
applicants for the giveaway.
Applicants must be residents of Palm Beach County with an honorable
discharge from the military and a Purple Heart medal for wounds suffered
during combat in active duty. Applicants must also have a disability
rating of 50 percent or more and be first-time homebuyers.
Federal privacy laws prevent the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
from providing a list of disabled veterans residing in South Florida,
Boyd said.
Dennis Koehler, co-founder of local chapter 25 of Vietnam Veterans of
America, said other factors are keeping Boyd from finding veterans who
qualify. Returning troops often disappear into mainstream society to
leave war and its memories behind.
Koehler and chapter member Ed Shanklin, both Vietnam veterans, said
young men and women coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan are like troops
coming home from Vietnam more than 30 years ago. The two men are working
closely with Boyd in administering the program. They helped form a
committee that determined the qualifications veterans must meet to enter
the drawing.
"When we came back, the last thing we wanted to do was join a veterans
services organization. We just wanted to get our lives back," Koehler
said. "People just want to put war behind them, they don't want to talk
about it."
National Guard Capt. Mike Kuszpa agrees. He's also part of the committee
and said troops suffering from post traumatic stress disorder don't
necessarily want to get involved with veteran services organizations
when they return.
Still, Kuszpa said, there should be a sizeable pool of potential
candidates. He's already getting the word out at armed forces events
throughout the county.
"Throughout my job I've met several people who meet the qualifications,"
he said. "And that's just in the National Guard."
Members of the committee said they still have five months to find a pool
of candidates before the drawing. If necessary, Kuszpa said they would
adjust the requirement to be more inclusive of veterans who don't quite
meet the criteria.
"We are determined to find people," he said. "This is definitely a good
cause."
Maria Herrera can be reached at
meherrera@sun-sentinel.com
or 561-243-6544.
-------------------------
Larry Scott --
