Hennepin County declares ‘functional zero’ when it comes to veteran homelessness
MINNEAPOLIS — On Oct. 15, Hennepin County declared “functional zero” when it comes to veteran homelessness.
The term “functional zero” doesn’t mean there won’t be homeless veterans. And, of course, it won’t mean an end to occasional panhandlers who hold cardboard signs claiming to be homeless vets. The “functional zero” means veteran homelessness is rare, brief and nonrecurring.
In practical terms, it means the county’s system responds within 90 days on average.
“We approach veteran homelessness from many angles,” said Neil Doyle, director of Hennepin County Veterans Services. “Today’s achievement celebrates the challenging and compassionate work our staff and partners do every day. We are committed to continuing this important work, because even one veteran without housing is one too many.”
As of Sept. 30, 69 veterans were experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County, five of whom were unsheltered. That number is down from 167 veterans experiencing homelessness in August 2023. The county is home to 48,410 veterans, one-sixth of the state’s veteran population.
“Hennepin County is proud of our work to reach this milestone of effectively ending veteran homelessness,” said Hennepin County Board Chair Irene Fernando. “By using a holistic approach and by identifying veterans as a priority population, we are succeeding in a housing-first methodology. I’m very grateful to the staff that worked to create and implement Hennepin’s plan, and I look forward to expanding our work to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.”
The declaration comes via certification from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Veterans Affairs.
For homelessness-prevention efforts, the state of Minnesota is divided into 10 regions called “continuums of care” or commonly called COCs. Hennepin and Ramsey counties were the final remaining COCs, and now the state awaits Ramsey County’s progress on the effort.
If you hear about “the Governor’s Challenge,” it is in reference to having the entire state certified as functional zero when it comes to veteran homelessness. Minnesota is among a handful of states participating in governor’s challenges on this issue. The idea is that if states can prevent veteran homelessness, it sets up a model for preventing all homelessness.
Resources
Hennepin Shelter Hotline serves all Hennepin County residents seeking emergency shelter by helping them find a safe, temporary place to stay while they work on next steps toward stable housing.
Hennepin Shelter Hotline: 612-204-8200
Hennepin County Veterans Services helps service members and veterans access their federal, state and county benefits.
Veterans Services: 612-348-3300
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs serves all Minnesota veterans and their families.
LinkVet is a call center open seven days a week to provide information and answer questions from veterans and their families.
LinkVet: 1-888-LinkVet