A new housing project in St. Paul is helping the ongoing effort to end veteran homelessness.

The groundbreaking for the 15th home in the Housing for Heroes initiative took place Monday.

The effort is a partnership between the Housing First Minnesota Foundation, homebuilder Lennar and the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV).

The St. Paul site will feature a three-bedroom main home and an accessible dwelling unit (ADU) in the backyard.”So we’re standing at the site of our 15th home for heroes in partnership with Lennar and Housing First Minnesota,” Sarah Riegle, chief housing officer for MACV, said.

MACV says the homes provide both transitional and permanent housing for veterans who face significant barriers, including criminal records or long histories of homelessness, that can keep them out of traditional rental markets.”

A lot of the veterans that we serve maybe have a long-term history of homelessness, might have some justice involvement, that might make a traditional landlord say, ‘I’m sorry we can’t accept your application,'” Riegle said. “So we really serve the vets that often have no other places to go.”

The program prioritizes flexibility — serving individuals, families and senior veterans, many of whom need accessible living arrangements. About half of MACV’s clients are 55 or older.

“We get to house single adults, we get to house families, people who are in transition or people who are ready for something more permanent,” Riegle said.

Lennar Vice President of Operations Scott Rothrum said the new home will be a slab-on-grade build with three bedrooms, while the ADU will be designed with accessibility in mind.

“It’ll have three bedrooms, and then on the back side, we’ll also have an ADU. More one-level living in the event that somebody is more confined to being in a wheelchair or walker,” Rothrum said.

Rothrum has helped oversee the construction of 13 homes with the initiative.

“Each new home we construct brings a sense of excitement, knowing that a deserving veteran will soon have a place to call home,” he said.

Acquiring land for these homes is often a challenge. The St. Paul lot was previously owned by the city and transferred to Dayton’s Bluff Home Ownership before being donated for this project.

“We worked with them for quite a long period of time to make sure that they were really excited and comfortable with being a partnership with us,” Riegle said.

Once construction is complete, MACV staff will go door-to-door to introduce themselves to neighbors.

“A lot of folks will see our flag go up and say, ‘We’re excited to have you here,'” Riegle said.

During Monday’s ceremony, Riegle said that while progress has been made, the work is far from finished.

“There’s a very, very real veteran and a very, very real family that is afraid right now, who doesn’t have the home they need,” she said. “We need to continue to serve those that have served us, and make sure that every veteran in the state of Minnesota really does have a long-term, stable housing opportunity.”

Nick Lunemann, WCCO