Minnesota faces roadblock in ‘effectively ending’ veteran homelessness
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Only three states in the nation can say they’ve curbed the problem of veteran homelessness. Now, state officials say Minnesota is closer than ever to being in the ranks, only they’re hitting a major roadblock at the federal level.
Paul Williams is the deputy director of veterans programs at the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA).
“Anybody, I think, who signs up to put their life on the line to serve their country deserves to have a home,” he said.
By connecting veterans with resources specific to them, the MDVA has worked to effectively end homelessness among veterans. The term “effective end” refers to a kind of federal stamp of approval, suggesting a state has the means to support veterans without housing.
“Building a homeless response system is like building a hospital,” Williams explained. “Just because you built the hospital doesn’t mean that you’re not going to have patients, but that the hospital is there to quickly address the needs of those patients.”
Based on certain benchmarks that must be met, Connecticut, Delaware and Virginia are the only states that have received federal declaration that they’ve effectively ended veteran homelessness. Minnesota is one region away from that status. That region is Ramsey County.
According to the MDVA dashboard on Monday, 46 veterans were experiencing homelessness in Ramsey County. Across Minnesota, there were 195.
As of this report, the MDVA says in Ramsey County, none of these veterans are experiencing chronic or long-term homelessness. Also, veterans have quick access to permanent housing in the county, and the number of those experiencing homelessness who enter transitional housing is “significantly less” than the number of veterans entering homelessness.
Ramsey County is working to meet another benchmark: See more veterans exiting homelessness and moving into permanent housing rather than entering it.
While the county has made strides, there are now new questions of how to get the federal declaration. Previously, Williams said, the approval mainly came from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). Then in March, the White House issued presidential action to reduce “elements of the federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary.”
Williams said that shuttered the USICH. “There’s no clear path to engage,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs press secretary wrote to KARE 11, “VA is developing a new process to recognize cities and states for their efforts to address veteran homelessness, and will work with local partners once it is in place.”
The department did not say when we can see that new process. How to move forward with federal declaration is unclear, but the mission to keep going is as clear as ever.
Veterans like Keith Feldbrugge have depended on state-funded resources to find stable housing. Feldbrugge, who served in the Air Force, got connected with a community partner of the state, called the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV). Feldbrugge received a rental subsidy through help from his case worker.
“It was massively huge, absolutely,” he said. “It would be a big honor to our veterans to have housing available for them.”
In a better place now, Feldbrugge says he hopes to show other veterans how to lead a full life. “It’s not about survival anymore,” he said. “It’s about being able to get into a house and being able to thrive.”
You can learn more about state resources for veterans experiencing homelessness here.