For organizations, property owners & community groups
Provide temporary or transitional housing
Want to open your doors to Veterans? Here are the real paths, what each one takes, and the fastest way to start.
Start by partnering. Most new housing efforts work best when they team up with an experienced provider first. It's faster and safer, and Veterans get help sooner.
The paths, from fastest to biggest lift
| Path | What it is | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Partner with an existing provider | Offer space, units, volunteers, or funding to an organization already housing Veterans. | MACV, local shelters, Grant and Per Diem providers |
| MDVA VTEMP (emergency hotel rooms) | MDVA pays back community service providers who cover short-term hotel or other private rooms for Veterans with nowhere to stay, when no shelter is available locally. More below. VERIFY current status | MDVA Stable Housing Initiatives team |
| Master leasing | Lease units and make them available to Veterans through a provider partner. | MACV or your local Continuum of Care |
| SSVF emergency housing | SSVF grantees may pay for short-term emergency housing for some Veterans, such as hotel or motel stays. VERIFY | An SSVF grantee such as MACV |
| VA contract emergency beds (HCHV) | The VA contracts with community providers for emergency and residential beds for Veterans. | Your local VA homeless program VERIFY contacts |
| VA Grant and Per Diem (GPD) | Competitive VA grants for transitional housing with services. You apply when the VA posts a funding notice. | VA GPD program VERIFY eligible applicants and next deadline |
| Join your Continuum of Care | Your local CoC coordinates homeless housing and runs Coordinated Entry. Being part of it connects your beds to the system. | Your county's Continuum of Care VERIFY list |
MDVA VTEMP: emergency rooms for Veterans with nowhere to go
The Veterans Temporary Emergency Housing Voucher Program (VTEMP) is run by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. It's one of the fastest ways an organization that already serves people can put a Veteran somewhere safe tonight.
Status: MDVA's FY26 program guide ran from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. The guide says the program may be extended in stages, as the State of Minnesota decides. We have not yet confirmed whether it continues after June 30, 2026. VERIFY Check with MDVA before relying on it.
- Who can be a provider
- Community service providers such as faith-based organizations, county agencies, nonprofits, County Veterans Service Officers, and Tribal Nations.
- Who it serves
- Veterans and former service members (and their households) experiencing literal homelessness who can't get into a shelter in their community. It's meant as a last option when no other temporary emergency housing exists locally.
- How it works
- The provider pays for a hotel room or other private (non-congregate) unit, works with the Veteran on a housing plan, and asks MDVA to pay it back.
- Limits
- Stays have night limits, and longer stays need a housing plan and MDVA approval. MDVA doesn't pay for nights after the Veteran exits, or more than 24 hours after a lease is signed. Payments depend on available state funds. VERIFY current night limits
MDVA Stable Housing Initiatives team: homelessprograms.mdva@state.mn.us · FY26 program guide (PDF) · Fact sheet, Jan 2026 (PDF)
What running a program takes
- An organization structure (often a nonprofit) with a board, insurance, and financial controls
- A property that meets zoning, building, and fire codes, plus any required licenses
- Staffing, often 24/7 or on-call, and background checks and safety policies
- A data system (usually HMIS) to coordinate with the rest of the system
- A funding plan. Grants are competitive and can take months.
- Trauma-informed, Housing First practices
Is running a program right for you?
Answer 6 quick questions for a suggested starting point.
Who to talk to
- MACVPartnering, master leasing, SSVF(833) 222-6228
- MDVA Homeless ProgramsRegistry, Homes for Veterans, and VTEMPEmail
- VA homeless programsContract beds, GPD, HUD-VASHVERIFY contacts