Kat Cammack

U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack helped secure a new contract to keep homeless veterans in Ocala and Gainesville housed.

The new contract provides over $3 million to fund 54 beds in the area for one year.

The previous funding was jeopardized after a vendor for Volunteers of America missed a grant application deadline.

Cammack worked directly with the Department of Veterans Affairs to find an alternative funding solution.

U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Gainesville, announced that homeless veterans in Ocala and Gainesville will be able to remain housed after she worked directly with the Department of Veterans Affairs to secure a new contract for Volunteers of America. Funding for the nonprofit's previous VA contract was set to expire Sept. 30.

The Veterans Affairs Contract Emergency Residential Services (CERS) program, which began Oct. 1, will fund 36 beds at Ritz Veterans Village in Ocala and 18 beds in Gainesville as part of 102 beds across North Florida.

Cammack spoke with The Sun on Sept. 30 about the new contract after welcoming fellow U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, and Republican candidate for governor, to a campaign event at Emerson Alumni Hall at the University of Florida.

A few months ago, Cammack said she received a call from Volunteers of America informing her that the organization had outsourced its grant application process to a vendor and that vendor missed this year's application deadline.

That prompted Cammack to contact VA Secretary Doug Collins to determine what options were available.

"I said listen, they missed this deadline, what options do we have because this is not the veterans fault, this is the fault of this vendor and we want to know what's out there," Cammack said.

Cammack said she had never seen a quicker response from a federal agency.

Within an hour, she said, she received a call from the secretary's chief of staff outlining several potential solutions. Cammack added that her office remained in contact with the VA at least twice a week.

As a result, Cammack said more than $3 million was secured to keep veterans housed, with the contract lasting one year.

At that point, she said, Volunteers of America will be able to reapply for the grant program it previously used. Cammack added that the situation illustrates the need for longer-term solutions to veteran homelessness.

"More than that, in talking with Secretary Collins, he highlighted the fact that veteran homelessness continues to be a problem and no one addresses it and so they took a long hard look at the programs within the agency, consolidated a bunch and dedicated around $1.7 billion around the country towards homelessness," Cammack said.

In a Sept. 29 news release, Volunteers of America of Florida President and CEO Janet Stringfellow said Cammack's office was instrumental in helping secure alternative funding.

"Thanks to her strong advocacy and commitment to serve our homeless veterans, we are now able to offer our veterans a safe place to rest and heal," Stringfellow said.

Marion County Commission Chairman Carl Zalak III said the community is deeply grateful to Volunteers of America, Cammack and everyone involved in keeping the program funded and available to veterans.

“In Marion County, honoring our veterans means showing up for them when they need us most. Keeping Ritz Veterans Village open means a veteran has a safe place to sleep, people to lean on and a chance to move forward with dignity,” said Zalak said in the press release.

Ocala City Councilman Jim Hilty said he would like to personally thank Cammack and her staff for taking the lead in helping secure funding for Volunteers of America.

“The funding had been lost due to an administrative error. This was no small feat and as chairman of the local Vets Helping Vets we now have places to place some vulnerable Veterans. This not only restored funding in Ocala but Gainesville and Tallahassee as well," Hilty said in the press release.

Cammack represents Florida's 3rd Congressional District, which includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Levy, Suwannee and Union counties, along with portions of Lafayette and Marion counties.

Cammack added that veterans needing assistance can contact her office at 352-505-0838.