Homeless Veteran Registry Dashboard

Veterans, particularly veterans of color, experience homelessness at greater rates in Minnesota and across the nation. Ramsey County Veterans Services uses the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs’ Homeless Veteran Registry to help veterans find and secure housing with the help of federal, state and local partnerships. The Minnesota Homeless Veteran Registry Dashboard was created and  is updated daily by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

When veterans request help from one of Ramsey County Veterans Services' federal, state or local partners, they may choose to participate in the Homeless Veteran Registry. Partners meet bi-weekly to review veterans on the registry and assess their needs. A partner follows up to help veterans enroll for healthcare, apply for benefits, receive referrals to other resources and more.

Many veterans experiencing homelessness say eviction as the primary reason for losing their last regular housing. The loss of a job or reduction in work hours can result in inability to afford rent or house payments. When veterans lose their regular housing, they face multiple barriers to finding a new place to live. In addition to the challenges of credit issues and/or no local rental history, lack of affordable housing  is the biggest challenge many veterans face once they are homeless. These challenges contribute to why many veterans experiencing homelessness are considered to be long-term homeless --  homeless for one year or longer or homeless at least four times in the past three years.

Veteran homelessness also results from serious health issues. The vast majority of veterans experiencing homelessness report having one or more serious conditions that limit work or activities of daily living. Examples include chronic health conditions, serious mental health conditions, substance use disorder or cognitive impairment.

Veteran homelessness also results from serious and multiple health issues. Most veterans experiencing homelessness report having one or more serious conditions that limit work or activities of daily living. Examples include chronic health conditions, serious mental health conditions, substance use disorder, or cognitive impairment.

For more information, see Veterans Experiencing Homelessness - 2018 Minnesota Homeless Study by Wilder Research. 

The Homeless Veteran Registry is an important service available to veterans experiencing homelessness. 

With the help of the registry and coordination with partners, Ramsey County is able to assist veterans in accessing and maintaining housing. We can achieve better outcomes by working together to respond to the unique needs of veterans experiencing homelessness.