School may be out for kids, but not for us!

Here at MACV, we have a certain way of talking about homelessness. In the world of housing and human services, providers and stakeholders need to have a common language so we can understand the problems we encounter and the solutions which work the best. This month, the newsletter team launches the MACV 101 series so you can get an inside look in the housing world.

This month, we explore chronic homelessness. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, chronic homelessness describes people who have experienced homelessness for at least a year — or repeatedly — while struggling with a disabling condition such as a serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or physical disability. Many of the Veterans who remain homeless after ten years of coordinated work to end Veteran homelessness in Minnesota fall under this category, with 68 of the 280 Veterans on the Minnesota Homeless Veteran Registry qualifying as such.

How do we fix it? One proven intervention is permanent supportive housing. Many chronically homeless Vets are just not cut out for mainstream housing. They need extra support like financial assistance, case management, and other services for the long haul, not just until they “get back on their feet.” You know who has permanent supportive housing specialized to the needs of military Veterans? You got it: MACV!

Want to learn more? Let us know what you think and what we should cover next! Just shoot us an email or leave a comment on MACV’s social media.