A TALE OF MISSION-DRIVEN MODERNIZATION
IN AN ERA OF FRAGMENTED HOUSING SYSTEMS, A STATEWIDE VETERAN INITIATIVE SHOWS HOW ANALYTICS, HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN, AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY CAN UNLOCK LASTING IMPACT.
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The Situation
The Situation
Housing instability among Veteran households is not a new problem. But the scope, fragmentation, and cost of inaction have made it unsustainable, especially in state with aging housing stock, complex referral systems, and underutilized federal benefits. Local nonprofits are stretched thin. State funds are reactive. And siloed intake process prevent timely interventions, especially for those who don't meet traditional definitions of homelessness.
That was the challenge facing one state's Department of Veterans Affairs and its primary housing nonprofits partner. Despite having access to dedicated housing funds, including HUD-VASH, Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), and the MIchigan Veterans Trust Fund (MVTF), Veterans, their families, and caregivers continue to fall through the cracks.
Too often, the same issues repeated:
Veterans applying too late for support
Incomplete home repair projects, due to misaligned eligiblity
Under-enrollment in programs like HISA, VA Loans, and energy efficiency grants
No system for layering resources across agencies
The partners turned to our firm. Our challenges: develop an integrated model that makes the system work for the people it was built to serve and ensure it's easy for both frontline staff and Veterans to navigate.
“This partnership isn't just about repairs it's about rewiring how Michigan serves its Veterans. The Homes of the Brave framework helped us layer funding, streamline referrals, and redesign intake in ways that actually reflect the lives of military-connected families. We’re now making faster decisions, reaching the right households earlier, and building systems that honor both service and dignity. That’s what transformation looks like.”
The Solve
The Solve
We began by co-designing a human-centered model rooted in Veteran lived experience and operational data. We started not with the funding streams, but with the journey: What does it feel like for a disabled Army Veteran seeking home repairs? How might an aging Navy Veteran apply for property tax relief before missing payments?
To answer these questions, we combined:
• Veteran personas drawn from frontline stories
• Statewide intake data and repair trends across more than 100 housing projects
• Eligibility rules and reporting constraints across MVTF, SSVF, HISA, and local rehab programs
Then we built an integrated, multi-phase solution, including:
A Veterans Journey Map & Intake Redesign
We facilitated a series of workshops that surfaced Bright Spots, Pain Points, and Moments That Matter from both staff and Veteran perspectives. This led to an upgraded intake process with real-time benefit navigation, streamlined repair prioritization (Safety, Health, Energy Efficiency), and standardized language for staff across all counties.
A Predictive Eligibility Screener
Using a lightweight algorithm trained on historical approvals, we created a rules-based tool that estimates eligibility for up to five programs at once—reducing time from inquiry to action and helping Veterans avoid incomplete applications.
A Cultural Competency Framework for Local Partners
Because trust is a barrier for many Veterans—especially those who don’t identify with traditional VA pathways—we developed training modules and scripts for housing counselors, repair contractors, and call center teams. These include trauma-informed practices, military lifecycle context, and asset-based storytelling techniques.
A Performance Dashboard for Cross-Agency Collaboration
We built a shared metrics framework aligned to outcomes, not just outputs. Metrics included:
• Time from inquiry to service delivery
• Percentage of repairs with layered funding
• Veteran satisfaction (via SMS-based feedback loop)
• Equity insights by branch, geography, and race
The Impact
The Impact
The work is ongoing—but the transformation is visible.
What began as a single pilot is now influencing statewide training, policy alignment, and even legislative strategy. County Veteran Service Officers, housing affiliates, and nonprofit partners now speak a shared language, using a common toolset.
Most importantly, more Veterans are being served with dignity—and fewer are falling through the cracks.
This initiative proves what’s possible when we stop building programs in silos and start building systems around people.
The Way Forward
The Veteran housing sector faces its own version of an “enrollment cliff”: growing demand, declining trust, and a shrinking workforce. But as this initiative demonstrates, transformation is within reach.
We believe that any system can be rebuilt—when it’s done from the inside out, with the community at the center.
Our team continues to partner with states, nonprofits, and Veteran-led organizations to bring this model to new regions.
Your system might be next.
If you’re ready to modernize how your agency, nonprofit, or coalition serves Veterans and military-connected families, we’re ready to help.
Let’s build systems worthy of their service.
By aligning partners, co-designing around user experience, and leveraging predictive tools, this initiative shows how organizations can unlock impact at scale—without burning out their teams or missing their mission.
Do these challenges sound familiar?
Do these challenges sound familiar?
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