Governor Walz announces Minnesota has effectively ended Veteran homelessness

St. Paul, MN – Governor Tim Walz today announced that Minnesota is the fifth state to effectively end veteran homelessness, a milestone representing the culmination of years of focused work and targeted investments by the administration to support veterans and their families. Governor Walz made the announcement alongside veterans and leaders from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (MICH) at Veteran Village in Eagan. Photos from the event can be found here.

“Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend state and country. We prioritized their wellbeing from day one, and today I’m thrilled to announce that we have effectively ended veteran homelessness in Minnesota,” said Governor Walz. “This major accomplishment reflects the far-reaching impact of targeted investments and collaborative, bipartisan work. I am deeply grateful to our partners who demonstrate a tireless commitment to making veteran homelessness a thing of the past.”

Years of targeted investments and integrative partnerships driven by the Walz-Flanagan Administration make Minnesota a leader in veteran housing.

• Since 2019, Minnesota has helped more than 5,000 veterans avoid homelessness.
• The Walz-Flanagan Administration allocated $47 million for the construction of three new Minnesota Veterans Homes now operating in Montevideo, Preston, and Bemidji and serving nearly 200 veterans.
• Together with partner organizations, the Walz-Flanagan Administration successfully invested $21 million to purchase and rehabilitate 161 permanent supportive housing units for veterans across the state.
• Governor Walz signed a historic Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill in 2023, which continued coordination of the Homeless Veteran Registry, a tool that identifies veterans experiencing homelessness and connects them to services, and established the Veterans Supportive Housing Options program, which procured 87 supportive housing units for veterans experiencing homelessness.

In addition to housing supports, the Walz-Flanagan Administration prioritizes connecting Veterans with the care, services, and benefits they have earned. The 2026 legislative session marked the fifth consecutive year a Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus Bill has been advanced and signed into law, cumulatively delivering:

• Expanded access to mental health resources and decreased veteran suicide by 20%
• $25.7 million in expanded GI bill benefits
• COVID Relief Grants for 4,300 veterans
• Post-9/11 service bonuses for 26,077 veterans
• Fee and tax relief for 25,000 vehicles purchased by veterans with a 100% service-connected disability

The effective end to veteran homelessness is made possible by a sustained response system that can maintain “functional zero” by preventing homelessness whenever possible while effectively identifying veterans in crisis and connecting them with resources to ensure instances of homelessness are rare, brief, and nonrecurring. The state response system is coordinated in ten “Continuums of Care” based on geographic locations: West Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, Suburban Metro Area, Central, Hennepin County, St. Louis County, and Ramsey County. With the final certification of Ramsey County on October 2, all ten of Minnesota’s Continuum of Care regions – covering all 87 counties – have demonstrated an effective end to veteran homelessness. Amid this major accomplishment, Governor Walz calls for continued bipartisan support and sustained funding to keep veterans housed.