Ed O’Neal, a retired, U.S. Army command sergeant major, has proposed establishment of a shelter for homeless veterans in downtown Hamlet.

Monday night he sought support from Richmond County Board of Commissioners.

He plans to seek $3.5 million in grants to establish the shelter.

He has proposed that the owner of the former A&P building across Jefferson Street from the Veterans Administration Community-based Outpatient Clinic could donate the building for a tax deduction.

Grants would come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the VA.

O’Neal said he already has letters of support from several community leaders for the project.

He said such a facility in addition to providing a service to needy veterans could mean a reduction in crime committed by the homeless.

O’Neal said it might take some prodding to get the VA to fund such a program.

The shelter would be for the treatment and rehabilitation of homeless veterans. He said HUD has funds for such projects and under the Homeless Veterans Per Diem Program, the VA has funds.

“I haven’t heard the first thing about it,” said Council member Jesse McQueen when contacted Wednesday. “His first step would most likely be re-zoning the property to meet the requirements. Then citizens have a chance to give their input at the zoning meeting and the council meeting.”

In his appeal to the owner of the building, O’Neal said, “There are a tremendous amount of veterans in North Carolina who have severe PTSD, drug addiction and other mental problems that I feel are treatable.”

In his proposal, he envisions the homeless facility providing shelter for some 40 veterans at a time where they would be confined for treatment and drug tested every three days.

He said some veterans who have returned from Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, the Dominican Republic and now Iraq and Afghanistan “definitely have problems directly related to their military service.”

O’Neal said he worked with former Congressmen Robin Hayes for nine years to establish the VA Clinic now in Hamlet.

He said he will need local support in his appeal to the VA for it to fund a homeless program in Hamlet.

When Commissioner Peggy Covington asked O’Neal if $3.5 million would do the work necessary to convert the old A&P building, he said AMVETS in North Carolina would raise the rest of funds needed.

(Staff writer Olivia Webb contributed to this report)