John Sillanpa looked around his gleaming studio apartment and let out a laugh.
"Even the cockroaches are new," he said, smiling as he surveyed his new home.
Sillanpa, 68, an Army artilleryman who served in Vietnam, is among the first residents of the Richard A. Brustad Homes, a new, 100-apartment complex reserved for homeless veterans.
The $14.3 million project near Fort Snelling was dedicated Wednesday after almost a decade of planning.
"There are steps we can take to ensure that no veteran in this state goes without a roof over their heads, and this is one of them," said Elizabeth Flannery, chief executive of the Community Housing Development Corp. (CHDC).
Michael Novack, 52, was a sergeant in an Army engineer battalion in Iraq. Originally from Coon Rapids, Novack spent the last six years living in homeless shelters and in the streets.
"The day I signed my lease, I took pictures on my phone and posted them on Facebook," said Novack, who will pay $437 a month for his studio apartment. All the residents pay 30 percent of their income for their studio apartments. For many, that income consists of Social Security or veterans disability benefits.
Novack, however, hopes to go to college and run his own security business. He's making plans to enroll and work toward a degree in criminal justice through a Veterans Affairs program. His called his new apartment "a blessing."