Minnesota Announces It Has Effectively Ended Veteran Homelessness Statewide
EAGAN — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on October 13 at MACV's Veteran Village in Eagan that Minnesota has effectively ended veteran homelessness, a milestone he made alongside veterans and leaders from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (MICH).
The achievement rests on a sustained response system that maintains "functional zero" by preventing homelessness whenever possible and effectively identifying veterans in crisis and connecting them with resources, so instances are rare, brief and nonrecurring. The system is coordinated through ten Continuums of Care covering all 87 counties — West Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, Suburban Metro Area, Central, Hennepin County, St. Louis County and Ramsey County. With Ramsey County's final certification on October 2, all ten regions have demonstrated an effective end to veteran homelessness. More than 5,000 veterans have avoided experiencing homelessness under the Walz-Flanagan administration. Governor Walz called for continued bipartisan support and sustained funding to keep veterans housed.
On the investment side, the state directed $47 million to build three Minnesota Veterans Homes in Montevideo, Preston and Bemidji, now serving nearly 200 veterans, and joined partner organizations in investing $21 million to buy and rehabilitate 161 permanent supportive housing units for veterans.
Minnesota thereby became the fourth state in the nation to effectively end veteran homelessness.
Sources: Office of the Minnesota Governor (via EIN Presswire); MACV
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 明尼苏达州议会大厦退伍军人纪念主题图 / Wikimedia Commons 开放授权图片
