At the core of every story about homelessness and every journey into homelessness, there is a common truth: crisis. Every person who has found themselves on the streets, living with strangers, or in a shelter has experienced some type of crisis that led to this circumstance: medical, mental health, domestic abuse, catastrophic accident, or something else altogether.
That’s why, after months of work, the Housing First Minnesota Foundation proudly unveiled a brand-new home that will serve as a safety net for veterans in need of support.
“As an organization, the Housing First Minnesota Foundation believes that every person has worth and should be given an opportunity to live their best life and provided a second chance,” said Jody Kern, president of the Housing First Minnesota Foundation.
There are currently more than 250 veterans listed on the homeless registry in Minnesota, but that number is really just a minimum. The real number is likely higher as some haven’t added their names to the list.
The four-bedroom home will offer transitional housing to veterans as they work with the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) to receive support and resources to move into independent living. Located on a lot donated by the Bloomington HRA, this home was built with build partner Lennar as the third Housing for Heroes project they’ve completed with the Foundation.
“We partner with organizations to build dignified housing spaces that lift people up and help move them from homelessness to hopefulness through housing, so they can move forward with their lives,” Kern added.
The nonprofit organizations like MACV that the Foundation partners with are working hard to provide services for those in need. The Foundation’s support allows them to continue to focus on serving clients instead of worrying about construction costs and managing the project. As the philanthropic outlet for the homebuilding industry, the Foundation’s gift of housing demonstrates a commitment to ending homelessness in Minnesota.
“Veterans experiencing homelessness is an issue we can solve,” said David Siegel, executive director of Housing First Minnesota. “We should not rest until every brave man and woman in this state who served to protect our country has a safe and dignified place to live in Minnesota.”
Learn more about the Housing First Minnesota Foundation and donate to help support their work at HousingFirstMNFoundation.org.
