Federal grant to help Minnesota's homeless veterans
More federal housing help will be available to homeless veterans in Minnesota.
The federal government today announced more than $750,000 in permanent housing and case management grants for homeless veterans across the state.
The assistance — part of which comes in the form of vouchers — is expected to help more than 115 homeless veterans in the state, said officials with the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs.
Ten vouchers will be split between Duluth and Mankato, the first time either city has received the assistance. The remainder will go to Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Cloud, said Kathleen Vitalis, president of the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans.
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"For those that need the case management and supportive services, just that added little piece to help them in their decisions in remaining stable," Vitalis said.
The rental assistance and comprehensive case management is sorely needed to help rural veterans stay off the street, Vitalis said.
"This just isn't, 'I'm going to pay your rent,' this is looking at individuals that truly need this program for the extra stability that a case manager can provide to them, that they really need this to succeed."
Most of the veterans in the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program suffer severe physical or mental disabilities or have chronic substance-abuse problems. The federal government launched the program in 2008 as part of a larger effort to address homelessness among veterans.