HOA Halts Construction of Paralyzed Army Vet's Home

Plans to build a new home for a paralyzed Army veteran at no cost to his family have been put on hold by the local homeowners association.

The reason, said the president of the nonprofit homebuilding group, is fear that the home would drag down property values in the neighborhood.

The Evans, Ga., home was to be built for Army Sgt. 1st Class Sean Gittens (left), who was struck in 2008 by an IED blast on his second tour of duty in Iraq. The trauma left him paralyzed on the right side of his body and unable to speak.

It wasn't supposed to turn out this way. "This is the total opposite of what usually happens," said John Gonsalves, president and founder of Homes for Our Troops, a nonprofit that builds homes for injured veterans. "We've met every requirement they've asked for," he told AOL Real Estate during a phone interview.