Community Meeting Will Gather Ideas for Ending Veteran Homelessness

ST. CLOUD - Veteran homelessness is a growing problem, in St. Cloud and around the country. Tomorrow, the St. Cloud VA Health Care System is hosting a community meeting to discuss helping homeless vets and their families get on their feet.

Ellen Dinsmore is the Homeless Vets Program Director for the VA. She says the meeting, called Project CHALENG, will examine the 5 year plan set by the VA in 2009, and field suggestions from community members on what still needs to be done to help vets transition back into the mainstream.

Dinsmore says right now, the VA has 63 veterans in chronically homeless housing. She called veteran homelessness a "hidden problem," and says it can be tough to get hard numbers on how many homeless vets are in the area.

The meeting is on Tuesday at the Holiday Inn and Suites from 10-11 a.m., with registration at 9:30. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.