Roger Smith, an Air Force veteran, and April Petit, a service coordinator with Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, go over paperwork for Smith's new apartment.

After living in a homeless shelter for eight months, Air Force veteran Roger Smith took a 2½-hour drive on Wednesday from a shelter in Coalport, Clearfield County, to Butler to move into a one-bedroom apartment being provided by a veteran's housing program in the process of expanding into the county.

Smith is the first veteran to move into an apartment in Butler County as part of The Veteran's Leadership Program of Western PA.

His apartment is the first of 10 units in its possession for housing veterans. The organization is nonprofit and provides an array of services for veterans, which includes subsidized housing.

The apartment, on West North Street, is near a battery warehouse where Smith said he will start working on Friday. For 90 days, the organization will pay for the apartment for Smith. After that, he must move out and find permanent housing, while also making room for another homeless veteran to use the place as a staging point for a stabilized life.

“We're trying to get this off the ground and with the holiday approaching we were worried he'd lose the job if we didn't get him in here,” said April Petit, a coordinator with the nonprofit.

Petit spent the afternoon with Smith going over the rules he must follow if he wishes to retain the apartment.Petit stocked his fridge with food and had gift cards for him to use. Smith and Petit said that Butler's Veteran Administration is also working with him to apply for government assistance, among other things. With this support, comes requirements; Smith, who served in the Air Force between 1983-1990, must sign a sheet each night to prove that he is staying in the apartment. He also has to keep in contact with Petit or the organization will assume he abandoned the apartment. Outright crimes will disqualify his residence and substance abuse can ultimately lead to his removal.But Smith said that's not a problem.“I gave up alcohol a long time ago and I'm not going back down that road anymore,” he said.The organization is hoping that all 10 units will be available by March.

Roger Smith, an Air Force veteran, moves into his new apartment in Butler. A veterans support group is helping him stabilize his life so he can live on his own.