Property owners aim to help Fresno's homeless vets

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Close to 40 landlords interested in housing homeless veterans showed up to the event Friday to help take homeless veterans off the street and help clean up Fresno while doing it.

Playing badminton holds new meaning for Bobbi May because after being homeless for five years, the Navy veteran is now hitting the birdie in front of her own home for the first time.

Since 2011, May and her two kids have been couch surfing," It was horrible," she said.

She gave a tour of the new place they moved into just two days ago. It's an apartment she was able to get with the help of the VA and the San Joaquin Valley Veterans. "They're paying for my first, my last and my security deposit," May explained. "After that, then I'm receiving a grant that pays between three and nine months of my total rent.

Both organizations were at a meeting Friday for landlords to teach them about funding opportunities available to get homeless veterans off the street. May's landlord was there.

She houses six veterans and says homelessness is a serious problem here. "I wanted to educate myself so we could open up our units to help the rest of the population," the landlord said.

It's a move May appreciates as she celebrates being in her new home. "No one else would give me a chance," she said. "And I really believe that we deserve that chance."

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