(KNSI) – Counties in central Minnesota have effectively ended homelessness and celebrated with a ceremony in St. Cloud. Tuesday’s event was held in front of Veterans Plaza at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex. Central Minnesota Continuum of Care Coordinator Tim Poland talked about how they’ve been able to get more than 50 veterans into permanent housing.
“There’s an assessment that’s done and they’re placed on what we call our priority list. And that gives access when a housing provider calls and says they’ve got a place available. We’re able to access those people on the priority list.”
Governor Tim Walz made the trip to the Granit City and said the ceremony marked Minnesota getting a stop closer to its goal.
Photo by Jake Judd KNSI News
“We will become the fourth state and the largest state to be able to get to functional zero, meaning we have a safety net underneath that if somebody drops into homelessness, there’s a way to get them out as quickly as possible in a one-time event. So, I think for me, it’s a sense of gratitude. It’s a sense of hopefulness of what we can do together. These 13 counties in central Minnesota made this a commitment together. They committed resources. They committed time, they committed planning, and they did it. And so it just makes you proud to be in a place where people care about that, said Walz. “For me, the excitement was when I started hearing practical project managers who go day by day veteran by veteran one at a time to fix this. That’s when I knew we had a chance.”
The 13 counties that make up the region are Stearns, Benton, Sherburne, Wright, Morrison, Cass, Chisago, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, and Todd Counties.
The CoC was able to clear their list just in time for Thursday’s Veterans Day Celebrations.
Officials say this does not mean there won’t be another homeless veteran. It does mean that efforts will be focused largely on the prevention of veteran homelessness, so when it does happen, the goal is that the systems, partnerships, and plans put in place can respond and make veteran homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.
Hennepin, Ramsey, and St. Louis Counties are still working toward ending veteran homelessness.
According to the governor’s office, the progress is the direct result of joint efforts across the state. The Central Minnesota CoC is comprised of a broad coalition of stakeholders, including the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA), Minnesota Housing, the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (MICH), Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV), County Veterans Service Officers, emergency shelters, and several private, public, and non-profit organizations.
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!