Today, Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) staff joined federal, state, county, and veterans’ service leaders to announce that Hennepin County has effectively ended homelessness among veterans. The “functional zero” designation comes from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and means that in Hennepin County, veterans’ homelessness is considered rare, brief, and non-reoccurring.

Through the years, MPHA has provided hundreds of Hennepin County veterans and their families rental assistance through HUD’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Voucher (HUD-VASH). Nationwide, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has fallen by more than 52% since 2010, in part due to the success of the HUD-VASH program. Now, in Hennepin County, the program has helped eliminate veterans homeless entirely. Key to that success is MPHA, which administers 347 HUD-VASH vouchers, more than every other jurisdiction in Hennepin County combined.

“MPHA is proud to be a partner in this incredible achievement of ending veterans’ homelessness in our community,” said Brandon Crow, MPHA’s Director of Housing Choice Vouchers. “As a HUD high-performer, MPHA is uniquely positioned to help address housing instability across many populations in Minneapolis. Whether it’s the veterans-focused VASH program, Stable Homes Stable Schools, project-based vouchers, or the traditional tenant-based vouchers, MPHA is committed to addressing our region’s affordable housing crisis using every tool available.”

Developed in 1992 and expanded in 2008, HUD-VASH creates a special Housing Choice Voucher (HCV, “Section 8” vouchers) tailored specifically to serve veterans and their families facing homelessness. The HUD-VASH program combines HCV rental assistance for homeless veteran households with case management and clinical services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) or a VA contractor or VA-designated service provider (DSP). Supportive social services include healthcare, mental health services, and employment resources and support.

In Minneapolis, MPHA maintains a partnership with the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). The Minneapolis VAMC screens homeless veterans for initial eligibility. Eligible veterans who agree to participate in case management are then referred to MPHA for a voucher where they are evaluated for income eligibility before being issued a voucher.

The HUD-VASH program offers two types of vouchers: tenant-based and project-based vouchers (PBVs), mirroring MPHA’s more traditional HCV programs. The tenant-based voucher allows participants to find their own Section 8-eligible housing in the private market, whereas the PBV remains associated with specific units within housing developments serving Section 8-eligible populations.

Once in stable housing and receiving federal rent assistance through MPHA, program participants continue receiving case management and clinical services support from the Minneapolis VAMC.

*Veterans interested in applying for HUD-VASH should connect with the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) to learn more about the program and their eligibility.