REPORT TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL
Committee on Veterans:
An Assessment of the Borden Avenue Veterans’ Residence, the VA Grant and Per Diem Transitional Program, Women Veterans, and Public Accountability (2026)
Prepared by:
Veterans Justice Project
July 6, 2026
Introduction
The Department of Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program was created to provide eligible veterans experiencing homelessness with a structured transitional pathway back into the community. The program was not intended to operate as a traditional shelter system, permanent housing program, or clinical treatment facility. Its purpose is to provide a safe, stable, and drug-free environment where veterans can access the resources necessary to successfully transition into independent living.
Veterans enter the GPD program from many different circumstances. Some are transitioning from military service, some from incarceration, and others from periods of homelessness, financial hardship, disability, or personal crisis. Regardless of their background, the objective remains the same: provide temporary support, access to Veterans Affairs resources, employment opportunities, financial wellness tools, housing assistance, transportation, and community connections that allow veterans to regain independence.
The Borden Avenue Veterans’ Residence holds a unique responsibility as New York City’s only VA-funded GPD transitional program. This report examines whether the current operation of the facility reflects the Congressional intent of the GPD model or whether it has shifted toward a traditional shelter structure that limits the resources and environment necessary for successful veteran transition.
Through a review of public records, emergency-response data, program operations, veteran experiences, and oversight practices, this report identifies concerns involving safety, accountability, access to resources, women veterans, community engagement, and the long-term success of veterans leaving homelessness.
The purpose of this review is not simply to identify failures, but to promote a stronger veteran transitional system — one that honors service, restores dignity, creates opportunity, and ensures every eligible veteran has a realistic pathway from homelessness to stability and independence.
Timothy Pena
July 6, 2026