Nonprofit aims to end veteran homelessness in Collier County this year

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — A nonprofit organization in Collier County says it will achieve its goal of ending veteran homelessness this year with the completion of a new apartment building.

Collier County nonprofit says veteran homeless will be a "functional zero" in the county with new apartments

Warrior Homes for Collier, founded by Vietnam veteran Dale Mullin, has been working toward this milestone for six years. The organization's latest project, called Project Zulu, is a 10-unit building that will house 20 veterans and bring the county to what they call "functional zero status."

"We started out with Alpha house, now six houses later, Zulu is the seventh house," Mullin said.

Dale Mullin speaks with Fox 4 about the Zulu Project.

Functional zero status means all veterans in the county who want to be housed will have a place to live, according to the organization's most recent count.

"It makes you feel proud, it was a long journey," Mullin said.

The nonprofit uses community donations to provide housing for veterans in need. Project Zulu is expected to be completed by mid-August.

Two veterans sit on a Warrior Homes for Collier property.

Among those who will benefit is 91-year-old Rouelle Fournier, who found himself without a home a couple of years ago.

"The water went off, the lights went off, I was stuck out with nowhere to go," Fournier said.

Fournier connected with Mullin and Warrior Homes for Collier, which provided him with housing.

The organization also provides employment opportunities to help veterans get back on their feet. Some veterans are even helping to build Project Zulu.

Steaven Slazyk, a former Marine, is working on the construction project. He said service members leave their homes to serve their country, so the least he can do is help build homes for them to return to.

"People helped me when I needed it, you gotta give back in the world, I'm giving back," Slazyk said. "The bottom line is, they need a home to go to, and a lot of them don't have that."

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