HUD SECRETARY JULIÁN CASTRO TO HIGHLIGHT MINNESOTA’S PROGRESS TOWARD ENDING VETERAN HOMELESSNESS

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today in Minneapolis, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro will attend a Minnesota event to highlight the Obama Administration’s commitment to ending Veteran homelessness. The Secretary will join Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Shellito and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman for a visit with Minnesota Veterans and homeless service providers at the Twin Cities StandDown for Veterans 2016, an annual event hosted by the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) to connect Veterans with critical services.

"We have an absolute duty to ensure those who've worn our nation's uniform have a place to call home," said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. "While we've made remarkable progress toward ending veteran homelessness, we still have work to do to make certain we answer the call of our veterans just as they answered the call of our nation."

HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in close partnership with local agencies, have made significant progress to reduce homelessness among veterans, announcing today that the rate has been slashed nearly in half nationwide. In Minnesota the number of homeless Veterans has decreased by 57 percent during the same time period, and by nearly 30 percent among unsheltered Veterans in the past year alone.

Progress is monitored through HUD’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) estimate of America’s homeless population. In addition, in Minnesota, public and private service providers collaborate to house Veterans using a shared by-name list that monitors progress in real time. Today, 219 Veterans remain on the list. Of these, 94 (43 percent) have a housing plan, 56 (26 percent) were identified within the past 60 days, and the remaining 69 (31 percent) have declined multiple options. The rate of housing Veterans has climbed from 10 per month initially to over 35 Veterans per month on average.

This progress is the result of a joint statewide goal to end Veteran homelessness in Minnesota. The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness – made up of Commissioners of 11 State agencies, the Chair of the Metropolitan Council, and Governor Mark Dayton’s office – have partnered with mayors from 10 Minnesota communities and private and public sector organizations as part of this commitment.  

“Approximately four months after we meet a Veteran facing homelessness, they have a place to call home. We want every Veteran facing a housing crisis to reach out by calling 1-888-LinkVet,” said Commissioner Larry Shellito, MDVA. “Together with our partners we are committed to bringing our Veterans ‘all the way home.’”

*For more information on Minnesota’s efforts to end Veteran Homelessness, visit /mdva/resources/homelessnessandprevention/index.jspMinnesotaVeteran.org/EndHomelessness.

Details:

Twin Cities StandDown for Veterans 2016

NOTE: Media interested in attending please RSVP to Heather.L.Fluit@hud.gov. Photography and b-roll video will be limited inside the venue to respect the veterans’ privacy. A media availability will be held outside the venue at the end of the program.

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About the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA)
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs is a cabinet level state agency dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. In addition to overseeing the five State Veterans Homes,  MDVA helps eligible Veterans and families secure state and federal benefits and provides programs and services relating to higher education, benefits, burial, claims, outreach and Veteran’s preference. For more information visit MinnesotaVeteran.org or call 1-(888)-LinkVet.