The director of a home that gives dozens of homeless veterans a temporary place to live says the future of that home is uncertain. 

Recovery House of Central Florida Executive Director David Bradley says the lease for the property is up soon, and can’t be renewed because Seminole County needs the space for its ongoing Five Points project.

The Seminole County Five Points project is already underway, and will eventually move the county’s civil courthouse and other county administrative buildings that are currently in downtown Sanford to the Five Points area off State Road 1792. They will join the county sheriff’s office, criminal courthouse, jail and animal shelter that are already located there.  Bradley says part of the plans require the use of the land the home sits on, and that’s making the future of the home unclear.

One of those veterans, Jeff Scott, says high blood pressure led to kidney failure, and not being able to work led to losing his home.  He’s now trying to start over. “Getting back on my feet and re-established, all you need is a little boost,” said Scott.

Scott is living temporarily at the house with about a dozen other veterans who are also homeless. He says everyone at the house, including the other residents, are cheering each other on towards finding permanent housing and a new start.

“Everybody here wants you to succeed and they’re more than willing to share their situations, which genuinely does make it easier,” said Scott.

Scott’s old roommate, James Gano, is now living in a home the Recovery House helped him find in Volusia County.  It wasn’t Gano’s military service, but a construction accident on the job that left him unable to walk.  He often comes back to the home to share his progress and support veterans like Scott.

“I think the structure and the model here is perfect, it’s just too easy to succeed here. They don’t let you fail. There’s no way you can fail here,” said James Gano.

Scott says he’s thankful the home allows him to focus on his future and not worry about other things. “It is a complete comfort to know that every night I have somewhere to sleep, every morning that I get up I will breakfast, and I will have lunch, and I will have dinner, and it keeps me on track,” said Scott.

Scott has secured a permanent home and is just in the process of waiting on some paperwork to go through before he can move to that home. But he knows the Recovery House never truly says goodbye. In case that new start sputters, the home always welcomes veterans back home if needed.

“You’re still in the beginning stages, so, yeah, I feel that way,” said Scott.

“I’m hoping once I can get everything set up that I can come back and help.  Because I really do feel like this place does help you like that, and I want to be able to come and assist them with some veterans as well.”

 The Chairman of the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners, Bob Dallari, says he’s aware of the situation and says the county will help the home find a new location.

Bradley says Recovery House of Central Florida houses about a dozen veterans at a time, and over the course of the year houses up to about 150 veterans.

Seminole County leaders say the county began discussing the lease termination due to the planned infrastructure construction more than a year ago, and extended the lease termination notice from six months to nine months.  And the county says it’s working to award $800,000 in American Rescue Plan Act grant funds to Recovery House to assist with their services.