Officials launch effort to house homeless vets

Start Corporation, a Houma non-profit that contracts with Terrebonne Parish government to provide services for the mentally ill, received a $125,000 grant Monday from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas to build a 12-bed housing facility for homeless veterans in Houma.

The facility will be constructed next to an existing Start Corporation building on New Orleans Boulevard in Houma.

Casey Guidry, Start Corporation executive director, said the organization decided to seek a federal grant because of an increase in the number of homeless veterans in the Houma area.

Start Corporation will receive a $400,000 grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs also.

Houma-based Coastal Com-merce Bank, a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank system, is administering the funding.

Federal Home Loan Banks provide money for member banks to lend to low-income homebuyers. The bank currently sets aside 10 percent of its earnings to make grants, said Director of Community Investment Bruce Hatton.

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-Napoleonville), who attended the formal grant ceremony at the Start Corporation’s main building in Houma, said Iraq War veterans are being forgotten like Vietnam War veterans were ignored.

Coastal Commerce Bank Vice President Sharon Bergeron said the bank is aware of the housing situation for people with mental illness.

Congressman Charlie Melancon (second from left) discusses a homeless shelter for military veterans to be built in Houma. Also pictured, from left, are: Bruce Hatton of Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas; Casey Guidry, executive director of START Corporation; and Coastal Commerce Bank representative Rachel Beebe and Vice President Sharon Bergeron. * Photo by MIKE BROSSETTE