New North St. Paul home to help veterans transition out of homelessness
On Thursday, Sept. 24. the Housing First Minnesota Foundation/HomeAid Twin Cities along with build partner Lennar formally handed over the keys of a brand new 4-bedroom home in North St. Paul to the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV). The new home will help MACV in their mission to end veteran homelessness, a population of the community that is in growing need of services.
“Unfortunately, there are veterans in our community that are in great need of housing,” said Donnie Brown, Housing First Minnesota Foundation Director. “With our Housing for Heroes projects, we are able to leverage the talents and resources of Housing First Minnesota’s builders, remodelers, and suppliers to build dignified housing for veterans in crisis.”
The lot for the North St. Paul Housing for Heroes project was conveyed to the Foundation by the City of North St. Paul. This is the fourth home built by the Housing First Minnesota Foundation and build partner Lennar for veterans experiencing homelessness. Lennar and their generous trade partners donated labor and materials for this four-bedroom residence.
“It has been our honor to work on these Housing for Heroes projects with the Housing First Minnesota Foundation and MACV,” said Bill Burgess, division president of Lennar Minnesota. “We’re fortunate to have trade partners and associates who are so willing to give back to our veterans who have sacrificed so much.”
While in the home, residents will work with MACV case managers to overcome their housing, employment, and legal barriers. This critical program gives homeless veterans the support and confidence to once again find success. The new veteran residents will be moved into the home in the coming weeks.
BACKGROUND:
Housing First Minnesota Foundation/HomeAid Twin Cities: Housing First Minnesota Foundation/HomeAid Twin Cities is building futures through housing for Minnesotans. We partner with service organizations to build and renovate existing transitional housing facilities and offer scholarships to individuals entering the construction industry. We leverage the expertise and resources of Housing First Minnesota’s member builders, remodelers, and associates to build new lives through housing. This collaborative project is supported by the St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS Charitable Foundation, Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, Bank of America, Felhaber Larson, Stewart Title, and our many trade partners. EIN# 41-1802616.
Lennar: Lennar is the largest homebuilder in the Twin Cities with homes for sale in over 100 communities. Lennar and the Housing First Minnesota Foundation have partnered to build four new homes for MACV that house homeless veterans in the Twin Cities.
Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans: MACV is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has provided critical intervention assistance to homeless veterans and their families since 1990. When immediate independent housing is not an option for veterans MACV offers 57 units of transitional housing in multiple Minnesota communities. Veterans may reside in the community-based housing for up to two years, although many veterans move to independent housing sooner.