$1M grant to aid homeless vets

A Minnesota organization that helps homeless veterans will receive $1 million from a federal homelessness prevention program.

The Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans is one of 85 non-profit groups across the country to receive such a grant from Supportive Services for Veteran Families, a federal homelessness prevention program that funds assistance for very low-income families.

Services include help accessing VA and other benefits, help with rent and utility payments, security deposits and moving costs. The federal grant will provide help for about 400 Minnesota households. said Kathleen Vitalis, who heads the Minnesota organization.

"That's about $2,500 for a veteran and their family, and that includes case management and things that we need to do plus some direct assistance," Vitalis said. "That is a really good deal to either get somebody out of homelessness or to prevent homelessness."

Minnesota's grant is part of $60 million in federal funding aimed at preventing and ending homelessness among veterans.

"This is a first ever grant coming from the VA and the monies used would be to support homeless and in crisis veterans," Vitalis said.