• Hennepin County receives federal designation of effectively ending veteran homelessness
• Join the next MICH webinar on November 6
• NAEH announces fund for individuals with lived experience of homelessness to pursue innovative professional and creative endeavors
• Social media highlight: MICH Council meeting
• Crossroads to Justice: Progress on Action Items

On Tuesday, October 15, Hennepin County officially became the ninth of 10 geographic areas in Minnesota to functionally end veteran homelessness!

Effectively ending veteran homelessness – a certification from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Veterans Affairs – doesn't mean veterans do not experience homelessness, but when they do, the system is prepared to quickly respond and connect veterans to housing and the supports needed to sustain it.

“Minnesota is committed to providing the best services and care for our veterans. Today we are one step closer to becoming the fourth state in the country to end veteran homelessness,” said Governor Tim Walz. “This wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated team at the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and those across Hennepin County working tirelessly to meet the needs of every veteran. I extend my gratitude to everyone who has worked to bring us closer to achieving this goal.”

This momentous day points the way to what’s possible when we work together to address homelessness in our community – the whole purpose of the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness. Key to Hennepin’s - and the eight other Continuum of Care regions across Minnesota who have previously secured this distinction – success has been a combination of factors: a defined plan, buy-in and deep coordination across all levels of government and nonprofits, a robust tracking system, proactive removal of barriers, and meaningful financial commitments to provide veterans with the resources they need to achieve stability.

Thank you to Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) Commissioner Brad Lindsay, Hennepin County Commissioners Irene Fernando, Angela Conley, and Kevin Anderson, and staff from Hennepin County for sharing in Tuesday’s announcement. We’re especially grateful to the Hennepin County and MDVA teams, nonprofits, front-line outreach staff, and case managers who have worked tirelessly to make this happen! 

Be sure to join the next monthly webinar on Wednesday, November 6 from 1 - 2 p.m. If you have any questions about your webinar registration, please email dan.gregory@state.mn.us   

Topics for the November 6 webinar include: 

• Overview of 2023 Minnesota Homeless Study results by Wilder Research
• COVID-19 Shelter Supply Project results from Minnesota Department of Health  

The beginning 10 minutes of each monthly webinar will be held to hear from the Speakers Bureau. Anyone who has lived experience of homelessness is welcome to sign-up to share through the Speakers Bureau. This is open time each month for lived experience experts to share ideas and feedback with the webinar audience.   

The next webinar Speakers Bureau will be on Wednesday, November 6 at 1 p.m. There is a monthly prep session held the Tuesday before the webinar. The prep session will be Tuesday, November 5 from 3-3:30 p.m. Follow this link to join the prep session. This is an ongoing opportunity that happens each month. Sign up is required. Please email dan.gregory@state.mn.us or call/text Dan at 651-983-9985 to sign up to speak or with any questions. 

The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) announced a new Innovation Fund to support individuals with lived experience of homelessness in pursuing innovative professional and creative endeavors. Eligible applicants can receive up to $25,000 in funding for initiatives like starting a business, research efforts, or creative projects. Applications are due by December 30, 2024, with virtual presentations and interviews scheduled for January 2025.

Click here to learn more about the fund, including eligibility criteria and how to apply. 

There will be an informational webinar on Thursday, October 27 from 2 – 3:30 p.m. Central. Click here to register for the webinar, which will cover the fund’s purpose, eligibility criteria, and the application process and walk you through the key components of a strong application, the review process, and tips for success. 

The Council met on October 7 to hear updates, share successes, and dig deeper on persistent challenges of addressing homelessness in our state. It was great seeing everyone sharing in discussions!  

Did you miss the Council meeting? Watch the full recording here. 

Crossroads to Justice is the strategic plan of the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, bringing a housing, racial and health justice approach for people facing homelessness in Minnesota to guide the work of state government. 

The Council committed to the plan in October 2023, with implementation beginning in January 2024. The Council received updates from agencies for the October 7, 2024 Council meeting (watch the full meeting here). We will provide an overview of these updates in this and upcoming newsletters. 

Progress on Action Items 

Each of the five bold Results named in the plan have supporting strategies and specific action items attached. The strategies and actions listed in Crossroads to Justice do not name everything state agencies are already doing related to housing stability and homelessness, nor do they represent everything that must be done. Rather, these strategies and actions were chosen as the highest impact opportunities to pursue at this moment. The impact of these efforts will be continuously monitored to see if, and when, adjustments are needed. 

The Council update indicates that nearly half (46%) of the action items in the Justice Plan are underway, according to Action Leads’ reports to MICH staff.