FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.(KNWA/KFTA)– This July, Strategic Reality plans to get its hands dirty as it breaks ground for the second time to bring affordable housing to veterans in Fayetteville.

“We’re just as anxious as everyone else is to actually get the construction underway, but yes, the need is not going anywhere anytime soon,” Jim Petty said.

Jim Petty the CEO of Strategic Reality and lead developer of the Patriot Park Project, says for the past two years they ran into several issues that put this construction on pause.

“We’ve obviously had a pandemic, we’ve had unprecedented supply chain disruption and construction cost run-ups,” Petty said.

Jannie Layne, the President of Bo’s Blessings, says from 2019 until now the housing crisis has increased for veterans.

“Elderly veteran who’s living in his car because he doesn’t have an apartment, we have a veteran and his wife and four small children they’re being housed in temporary housing in a motel because they can’t find an apartment there is such a need, but we need to be sure we do this right,” Layne said.

“They got to have furniture, they got to have the ability to budget, they got have food having the structure built is awesome having the support system in place will make this extremely successful,” Layne said.

The Patriot Park Project will add 60 affordable housing units at North College Avenue and North Street. Layne says this time around with the project, community input from other veteran resources should be involved to make sure veterans have what they need.

Layne says providing affordable housing for veterans that put their lives on the line is the least we can do.

“A veteran means you signed on the dotted line and you said, I will serve my country. I will give my life for my country and I won’t expect anything in return we, the citizens of the United States, are responsible for those veterans,” Layne said.

Jim Petty says they will have the construction plans finished by late June and break ground again in July.