HFMF Housing for Heroes Impacting Veteran Homelessness

By Sophia Humphries

The clang of a hammer and the hum of a saw are the sounds of hope for some Minnesota veterans who are looking to build new beginnings. What started as four vacant lots in North Minneapolis is now a safe place for veterans experiencing homelessness to take a deep breath, exhale, and learn how to dream again.

“It is a big relief to be able to find a place to lay your head and focus on yourself and your family to move forward”

— Derrick, US Marine Corp Veteran.

Currently, there are 306 individuals like Derrick on Minnesota’s homeless veteran registry. This number does not count veterans who might be couch surfing or who might be in other unstable housing arrangements. Veterans are one of the largest populations of individuals experiencing homelessness. These alarming statistics prompted one of the largest and most impactful projects undertaken by the Housing First Minnesota Foundation/HomeAid Minnesota, our Housing for Heroes community builds.

The Housing First Minnesota Foundation, with partners the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) and Lennar, have continued their Housing for Heroes work in 2023. Since 2017, this Housing for Heroes partnership has built eleven homes. This year 20 more beds for unhoused veterans were added to the 31 that we’ve already constructed- bringing the grand total to more than 50 beds. These houses will be home to a group of individual veterans or to a veteran and their family.

This critical housing program gives homeless Minnesota veterans the support and confidence to find success once again.

“Having a home like this, we can figure out what our normal is again...You can focus on your life and how beautiful it is”

— Kayla, Air Force Veteran

These homes help veterans like Kayla rebuild their lives and regain their independence. Once housed, these veterans receive wrap-around support services from MACV- aiding their transition out of homelessness.

The words “Homeless” and “Veteran” should never be in the same sentence. Housing impacts everyone. And when it’s not available, the effects on families and individuals are devastating. At the Housing First Minnesota Foundation, we believe every individual has worth and human dignity and deserves the basic provision of shelter as a necessity of life. For those willing to give their lives for our country, this is the least we can do for them.