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State to Activate 'Veteran Rapid Response Team'

Tasked to provide shelter and find housing for homeless Veterans identified in statewide Point-in-Time count

SAINT PAUL, Minn. –  A new initiative will provide immediate assistance to homeless Veterans during the 2016 Point-in-Time (PIT) count, the annual one-day count to identify everyone experiencing homelessness in Minnesota. This year the PIT count will be conducted January 28, and for the first time the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is organizing a Veteran Rapid Response Team and crisis shelter to assist any homeless Veterans identified through this outreach. 

The PIT count works by dispatching outreach workers all over the state to identify and count Minnesotans experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered. PIT counts are organized around the country at the same time every year. In Minnesota the number from this count provides measurement of our progress toward the goals of Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, including the goal to end Veteran homelessness statewide.

“Ending homelessness does not mean that Minnesotans will never face housing instability or homelessness again.  Rather, it means that every community in Minnesota will have a response to homelessness that prevents homelessness from occurring whenever possible, and ensures that when homelessness does occur, it is rare, brief, and non-recurring,” said Cathy ten Broeke, State Director to Prevent and End Homelessness.

The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, made up of Commissioners of 11 State agencies and Lt. Governor Tina Smith, will announce updates to the Heading Home plan at a press conference Thursday, Jan. 28 from 11-11:30 a.m. at the Wellstone Center; 179 Robie Street in Saint Paul.

In collaboration with the state’s plan to end homelessness, over the last several years communities and mayors from around the state have unified toward the goal of ending Veteran homelessness statewide. As part of this commitment, in 2014 MDVA and many community partners launched a /mdva/resources/homelessnessandprevention/homelessveteranregistry.jspstatewide Homeless Veterans Registry focused on housing all Minnesota Veterans experiencing homelessness. This Registry has helped accelerate Minnesota’s progress toward the goal.

During Thursday’s PIT count a Veteran Rapid Response Team will be standing by for all homeless Veterans.  Outreach workers who identify unsheltered homeless Veterans will connect with social workers who specialize in finding housing solutions for Veterans experiencing homelessness. Those social workers will invite the Veterans to join the Registry and develop a personalized housing plan.  Within the seven-county Twin Cities metro area Veterans will be offered transportation to a temporary crisis shelter, where they can connect with these social workers in person. They will also be given a warm place to sleep, food and a “sleep kit” to keep. In greater Minnesota, these connections will occur over the phone. The response team will operate continuously through mid-afternoon on Friday, Jan. 29 and is a collaboration between MDVA, the American Red Cross, the federal Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Minnesota, the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV), the Minnesota National Guard, the City of Saint Paul, and other partners.

“Having a housing plan is key,” said Eric Grumdahl, who serves as Special Advisor on Ending Veteran Homelessness for MDVA and Minnesota Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. “Homelessness is a problem that we can solve. The best, most lasting solutions are personalized for each individual or family experiencing homelessness.” With a housing plan in place, Veterans experiencing homelessness are typically housed within four months.

The search for landlords willing to rent to Veterans also remains a priority; although many Veterans currently on the Registry have the income or assistance to pay for housing and maintain stability, one of the surprising struggles has been identifying landlords willing to give these Veterans a second chance. If you are a landlord and would like to join the database, please call 1-888-LinkVet (546-5838). 

Anyone who knows of a Veteran experiencing homelessness can also connect them with services by calling 1-888-LinkVet (546-5838).