By: Emma Rasmussen
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV)- Patriot Park will provide a form of affordable housing to those who have served for the United States. Proposed several years ago as a solution to the need for housing for low-income veterans in the area, it has since become a project supported throughout the community.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, A PLACE FOR VETERANS
Washington county is a place supportive of veterans, Fayetteville alone has several resources specifically for vets. One of these resources in particular is the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital that sees over 80,000 patients across four states: Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas. There is also a Veterans Office, where Service Officers, all veterans themselves, work with vets and their needs. The center sees anywhere between 250 and 300 clients per month.
Along with these resources come services like Housing Urban Development- Veteran Assisted Housing (HUD-VASH), that helps veterans in immediate need of housing get off the streets in a matter of hours. Yet the need for housing for veterans and their families has increased, in fact, in the county up to 15% of the homeless population are veterans.
Mike Lewis, who spent 25 years in the Air Force, now works as a Veteran Service Office. He said the need for housing could be for many reasons.
“Some of them will have loved one that are in maybe the nursing homes that they want to get closer to to be able to support them through their lives. Other veterans, like I said, just find themselves in a position where they need some of that type of housing, or that low income subsidized housing.”
THE START OF PATRIOT PARK
The idea for the complex was proposed by former Washington County Judge Joseph Wood. Lewis believes the proposal came from the issues they have seen in housing in the past.
“I think the history of the veterans and the homeless population and the low income veterans that we’ve had in Washington County and throughout Arkansas really was some of the background information that went into the Patriot Park.”
After the project gained approval, the project was submitted and approved for federal funding through the Arkansas Development of Finance. The funding is through an affordable housing tax credit program. Strategic Realty was also brought on as the lead developer.
Patriot Park officially broke ground this past October.
LET’S TALK NUMBERS
The total cost of Patriot Park will be approximately $12.4 million, and include nine separate buildings. These buildings will consist of one, two, and three bedroom units. There will be 24 one-bedroom units ranging from $275 to $435 in rent, 24 two-bedroom apartments, ranging from $330 to $545 in rent, and 12 three-bedroom units ranging from $355 to $650 in rent.
Patriot Park is specifically designed for low-income veterans, not the general homeless population, which has been a common misconception.
In order to live in patriot park an applicant must have a veteran status and must be making less than 60% of the median income, which in NorthWest Arkansas would equate to less than $57,000. The apartment complex could hold anywhere from 60 to 150 people.
What makes Patriot Park different from other affordable housing complexes is that after initial application acceptance, there is no revaluation.
While other affordable housing programs will punish those in need by only allowing residency until they have succeeded in the program, Patriot Park has no time limit. CEO of Strategic Realty, Senator Jim Petty, said this is one of the nice things about this program.
“As long as you abide by the policies we have to have in place required by the program, like income, initially, you could move in today income eligible, and win the lottery tomorrow and still live here.”
Once built, Patriot Park will be the largest of its kind in the county.
“IT TRULY WAS A TEAM”
Both public offices and private organizations have played a role in the development of Patriot Park. This aspect is one part of the process current Washington County Judge, Patrick Deakins is very pleased with.
“This is a great opportunity from a governmental agency standpoint where we can partner with an outside agent. When we can get those public and private partnerships to work I think that’s the best way to bring something good to your citizens.”
While the funding is federal and the land has been provided by the county, Strategic Reality and the Veterans Office have both played and will continue to play their role in working on this project too.
“We have been working closely with the Washington County Veterans services office, we’ve talked to the VA across the street here, and while our expertise is in housing and generating the physical structure, we’re going to rely heavily on those that provide the services,” said Senator Petty. “So yes, we were part of the team, and it truly was a team.”
For the Veterans Office, Patriot Park will soon act as a service they will be able to promote.
“Having an option for a subsidized, low-income place, centrally located to the hospital… everything that we have here within Fayetteville is a great opportunity for these veterans,” said Lewis.
Overall, all parties involved are just excited to help those who risked their lives for the safety of others.
“Helping people that don’t feel appreciated or have not had the opportunity to have something this nice available to them that’s very rewarding to me,” said Senator Petty.
LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE
Right now there is no set timeline for when Patriot Park will be complete. Especially after the pandemic, unexpected construction costs, and supply chain delays, development has been pushed back.
“It just takes time,” said Senator Petty, “In a normal process it’s typically from 24 to 30 months for a development like this, and Northwest Arkansas may take just a little bit longer.”
For Judge Deakins, the success of Patriot Park could mean more than just helping veterans. It could be a step in creating more affordable housing.
“I think that this will stand as a template, hopefully a very successful template of how we can use this recipe in other avenues for other portions of our population.”