The Home Front

Why Minnesota Veterans Come Home to Homelessness

By Britta Reque-Dragicevic

Photos By Scott Streble & John Linn

The voice on the line is frantic, panicked and afraid. Durbin Keeney calmly gets dressed and drives to the address the family member gave. Inside the guy is in bad shape—frustrated, distraught and at the end of his rope.

“I’ve taken many a gun out of a veteran’s hand,” Keeney recalls. “The calls come at any time, and I’m here—day or night, on holidays— doesn’t matter. If a veteran needs help with moving her life forward, then we’re here to support her.”

Keeney serves in Duluth as a regional director for the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, known as MAC-V. His nonprofit organization deals with tough issues veterans face when they return home from deployment or service abroad. “It’s all about feeling like they don’t fit in,” explains Keeney, a Vietnam veteran. “And it’s this ‘not fitting in’ that often leads to problems with employment and housing.”

That was the experience for Thomas Anderson, 57, of Duluth. A Vietnam veteran, he served in the Special Forces as a Navy Seal, including a six-month in-country tour.

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“When I got back from ‘Nam, I pretty much got booted to the street."
- Thomas Anderson, veteran

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Constant anxiety and feelings of isolation led to years of drinking and bouts of trouble with the law. Years later, he found himself staying in a friend’s trailer without running water on the North Shore.

That’s when he heard a radio ad for MAC-V. He drove to Duluth and was able to get into transitional housing. They also assisted him in securing a disability status with the VA and connected him to counselors. Three years later, he’s now a daily volunteer at MAC-V and helps other vets find the resources they need to secure housing and employment.

Housing is a top priority for MAC-V. “There is a housing crunch in Minnesota, period,” says Keeney. “Veterans raised their right hand and are willing to die for our country, but they’re not willing to become homeless.”

According to MAC-V, veterans make up roughly 15 percent of Minnesota’s population.When it comes to not being able to find housing, veterans account for 13 percent of the state’s homeless adult population and 25 percent of the homeless adult men, as reported in a study by Wilder Research in 2007.

Brothers in Arms: MAC-V Director Durbin Keeney counsels veterans like Thomas Anderson as they readjust to civilian life. In Minnesota, veterans comprise about 15 percent of the population, but 25 percent of all homeless.

“Vets often give up their housing when they’re deployed,” Keeney says. “When he gets back, his old job seems boring or meaningless compared to combat. Then you’ve got relationships, school, peers—in all of these the veteran feels out of place. Without a steady paycheck, housing is very, very tough.”

Much of MAC-V’s work is helping veterans who are ready to “move their lives forward” by getting the support and resources they need to deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, substance abuse, emotional issues and employment before they secure housing.

“The first person a veteran should contact is her county veteran services officer or tribal veteran services officer,” Keeney said.

Community, business leaders and landlords can also take action by being supportive of family members who are working while a loved one is deployed. While many people believe that the Veterans Affairs department takes care of all veterans’ needs, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) estimates that VA programs only reach about 20 percent of homeless veterans.

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“Don’t give up. Do what you need to do on the inside to make it happen, and just don’t give up.”
- Thomas Anderson, veteran

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For more information, visit Minnesota Veterans Affairs at www.minnesotaveteran.org, or the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans at www.mac-v.org. IQ