Minnesota officials say the state has functionally ended veteran homelessness statewide, meaning any veterans who become homeless are quickly matched with services.

The state has dramatically decreased the total number of veterans who experience homelessness overall. In 2010, a statewide count found more than 600 veterans without housing. Today, roughly 150 are on the state’s homeless veteran registry.

In 2024, Hennepin County, the state’s most populous county, announced it functionally ended veteran homelessness.

Now, state leaders have announced veteran homelessness in Minnesota has reached "functional zero.” That means all local jurisdictions are able to quickly identify veterans who are at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness and provide them with social services and permanent housing.

“It's not something you just say, ‘Oh, we fixed it. Veterans’ homelessness is over,’” Gov. Tim Walz said at a press conference Tuesday announcing the milestone.

He said it’s impossible to prevent every single case of a veteran or other person becoming homeless.

“But the state of Minnesota has made sure there's a net underneath that, that there is a safety net to make sure that that is brief,” Walz said.

The state has been attempting to end homelessness, for veterans and the general population, for a long time. Gov. Tim Pawlenty missed his stated goal of ending long-term homelessness by 2010. Current state leaders said solving the problem requires a “housing first” strategy and consistent government funding.

Brad Lindsay, commissioner of the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs, said just like most public health problems, keeping homelessness in check doesn’t have a one-and-done solution.

“It's like the emergency room, you don't open an emergency room, treat everybody in the waiting room, and then shut it down as soon as you've cleared them out for the night,” Lindsay said.

Todd Smith is an Army veteran who served in Iraq. Smith said when he returned home, he felt “disconnected” because he was living far from the people he had served with.

“Abandonment was what I was left with. I struggled with mental health, and that led to addiction and ultimately traumatic brain injury,” Smith said.

He said he and his wife became homeless in 2022, but the nonprofit Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, or MACV, helped them find permanent housing. MACV has received both federal and state funding.

“With secured housing, I was able to address my legal and mental health challenges, eventually leading me to break my addiction.”

Now Smith, his wife and his support dog live together in a supportive housing community called Veteran Village in Eagan.

“Together as villagers, we have the opportunity to come together to laugh, cry and love together, looking out for each other like we did back when we signed and served,” Smith said.

Minnesota is the fourth state to declare a functional end to veteran homelessness after Connecticut, Delaware and Virginia.

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.