SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Minnesota Veterans affected financially by COVID-19 can now apply for financial assistance thanks to new funding approved by the legislature. Approximately $6.2 million is available in two new grants available for veterans.
“The economic effects of COVID-19 have been devastating on the pocketbook of hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans, and our veterans are being hit especially hard,” said Senator Jerry Newton (DFL-Coon Rapids), ranking DFL lead on the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee. “These grant program provides an immediate boost for our veterans, and I encourage people to apply as soon as possible. I want to thank Governor Walz for prioritizing the needs of our veterans, and for my colleagues in the legislature who came together in bipartisan agreement to make this possible.”
The purpose of the COVID-19 Disaster Relief Grant and COVID-19 Special Needs Grant is to mitigate the negative effects and economic impact COVID-19 has had on Veterans and their families by providing one-time financial relief grants in the amount of $1,000 and $3,000 respectively. Applications for either grant must demonstrate a financial loss on or after the date of the Governor’s Emergency Executive Order, March 13, 2020.
To qualify for the COVID-19 Disaster Relief and/or Special Needs Grant, applicants must be:
- A Veteran or the surviving spouse (who has not remarried) of a deceased veteran as defined by MN Statute 197.447, and
- A Minnesota Resident, and
- Have been negatively financial impacted by COVID-19.
* Note: Two Veterans married to each other are both authorized to apply for and receive the disaster relief grant.
Interested veterans can download the application needed to apply for the onetime $1,000 disaster relief grant at the following link here: https://mn.gov/mdva/resources/familyassistance/disasterrelief.jsp
The application for the onetime $3,000 special needs grant program, which provides assistance for rent and mortgage expenses, utilities, medical bills and other costs, is available at the following link here: https://mn.gov/mdva/resources/familyassistance/specialneedsgrant.jsp
The Anoka County Veterans Service Officer can be contacted at 763-324-4500 or at veterans@co.anoka.mn.us. The Hennepin County Veteran Services Officer can be contacted at 612-348-3300 or at vetservices@hennepin.us.
A closing date for the two grants has yet to be determined and will depend on the length of the peacetime emergency declared by the Governor of the State of Minnesota and the availability of funding.