Ending Veteran homelessness has been a major focus area for MDVA. On the national level, nearly 500 cities and states have made a commitment to end Veteran homelessness. Minnesota is no exception: Governor Dayton and his Administration committed to this goal as part of Heading Home: Minnesota's Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. In addition, 10 Mayors from around the state have also pledged to end Veteran homelessness this year.

MDVA's long-standing support for Veterans facing homelessness or housing crises include a variety of tailored resources, including financial assistance through the State Soldiers Assistance Program, access to shelter through the /mdva/resources/homelessnessandprevention/index.jspMOVE program, a major grant to the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, and assistance obtaining benefits that can mean the difference between losing and keeping a place to live.

MDVA recently hired Eric Grumdahl to coordinate our efforts across the Department, across State government, and in partnership with our community partners. One innovative strategy we are using is called the /mdva/resources/homelessnessandprevention/homelessveteranregistry.jspVeterans Registry. Eric, working with David Money of our IT staff, developed the Registry to help care providers to collaborate in serving homeless Veterans and quickly share information to get housing outcomes faster.

Once an individual identifies themselves as a Veteran, they are placed on the registry. The needs of the individual are then shared with the area providers who may be able to help. This registry is a communications tool that has proven itself quickly. Though still in its infancy, the registry has helped focus tremendous efforts by Catholic Charities, St. Stephen's Human Services, the federal VA, MACV, People Incorporated, and other organizations serving Veterans. The registry enables the person working with a Veteran to identify available housing options for the Veteran. Once housed in a safe environment, we can then connect them with additional services.

In a recent television interview, one such Veteran made a very articulate argument on the importance of caring for Veterans and other homeless citizens. In his case, the genesis of his homelessness was the loss of his job due to downsizing. He was unable to recover thus going into a downward spiral. Thanks to the sharing of information amongst the care providers, this Veteran now has a place he can call home and a care program to keep moving forward.

Identifying a Veteran in need is the first step in bringing our Veterans all the way home. You can help us help find those Veterans who are homeless and/or are near entering homelessness. Homelessness can be caused by many different factors. The loss of a job is an example. Working to insure all our Veterans have a safe and secure environment in which to live is key.

Veterans can be referred to the Homeless Veteran Registry by calling the Veterans Linkage Line (LinkVet) at 1-888-LinkVet (546-5838).