By Lorna Schmidt
Catholic Charities
Editor’s note: The American Legion Department of Minnesota supports the passage of the bill mentioned in this piece. Please help us get it passed in 2023.
Nearly 20,000 Minnesotans experience homelessness every night.
This staggering statistic underscores the extent of the homelessness crisis. But thanks to coordinated efforts, progress is being made to address it.
Since 2000, the percentage of people experiencing homelessness who are military veterans has decreased to 7 percent. Our state is on its way to becoming the fourth in the United States to eliminate veteran homelessness, with 85 of 87 Minnesota counties achieving an effective end to veteran homelessness.
Our work isn’t done, though, and there is no one single solution to the problem.
This past legislative session, Minnesota lawmakers had an opportunity to further disrupt trends in homelessness by reforming a little-known state program called Housing Support. Unfortunately, it was one of many proposals left on the table when legislators adjourned.
More than rent assistance, Housing Support is a permanent supportive housing program that combines housing assistance with services. It serves low-income seniors and adults with disabilities — including veterans — who are at risk of homelessness in all regions of the state. It ensures they aren’t just able to pay rent and utilities but have access to everyday essentials like food, bed and linens, and laundry, too.
Under current law, veterans and others who receive Housing Support must pay a portion of their income toward housing, and it’s here the need for reform comes in.
Unlike earned income from wages, individuals receiving veterans benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Retirement, Survivors & Disability Insurance (RSDI) can be required to pay their full benefit toward their Housing Support costs — except for a $111 monthly allowance.
For them, the door to home through Housing Support could cost as much as 90 percent of their monthly income.
Unwilling or unable to forfeit control of 90 percent of income they served or otherwise qualified for, there are individuals experiencing homelessness who are declining Housing Support and choosing to stay in shelter or on the streets instead.
There are tenants struggling to pay their housing obligation each month, putting them at risk of eviction and homelessness, because $111 simply isn’t enough to cover other basic needs, like a phone, transportation, personal hygiene supplies, support for children or family members, and emergency expenses.
The bill before the Legislature would have ensured veterans and individuals with disabilities wouldn’t pay more than 30 percent of their monthly benefits toward Housing Support. As one more tool in our toolbox to end homelessness, it would have offered more Minnesotans a path to a stable home and removed roadblocks for those working toward greater housing and financial independence. But despite strong bipartisan support, it didn’t make it across the finish line.
Housing Support remains one of Minnesota’s best tools to help people exit homelessness and prevent future homelessness, but it’s not perfect. When lawmakers return next session, reforming how Housing Support treats veterans and disability benefits should be a shared priority. It’s one more part of the solution — bringing us one step closer to ending homelessness for all veterans and ensuring every Minnesotan has a place to call home.
Lorna Schmidt is the public policy manager for Catholic Charities of St. Paul & Minneapolis, a nonprofit social services provider whose mission is to serve those most in need and to advocate for justice in the community.
