Veterans Justice Project

A Practical Solution for NYC’s Veterans: Repurposing Vacant Hotel Shelters

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:51:12 GMT

NYC Department of Homeless Services Saw an Increase in Funding of 67% to House Immigrants in Hotels. Half of the Those Hotels are Now Empty

New York City has both a responsibility and an opportunity to correct a failing system that affects some of its most vulnerable residents—its veterans. While much attention has been given to identifying problems within the current transitional housing model, particularly at Borden Avenue, the more pressing question is: what can be done right now?

"The answer is both practical and immediately achievable—relocate veterans from Borden Avenue into vacant or closed hotel shelters previously used for immigrant housing."

Over the past several years, New York City rapidly expanded its use of hotels to accommodate an influx of migrants. At the height of this effort, hundreds of hotel rooms were secured across the five boroughs. However, with a reported 50% reduction in need, many of these hotels are now empty or have been closed altogether. This shift presents a unique opportunity to repurpose existing infrastructure for a population that has long been underserved.

Veterans currently housed at Borden Avenue are part of the VA’s Grant and Per Diem (GPD) transitional housing program, which is federally funded and designed to provide safe, structured, and supportive environments that promote recovery and independence. Yet the conditions described by many residents—including overcrowding, instability, and exposure to violence and substance use—fall short of that mission.

Critically, this model would also allow for inclusion of women veterans , who are currently underserved or excluded in existing configurations like Borden Avenue. A decentralized, hotel-based approach makes it easier to create safe, appropriate accommodations for both men and women without forcing them into unsuitable environments.

From a fiscal perspective, the argument is equally compelling. The NYC Department of Homeless Services budget has grown dramatically in recent years, rising from $2.3 billion in 2022 to approximately $4.0 billion just three years later. With that level of investment, there is no justification for maintaining substandard conditions when better alternatives are already available and, in many cases, unused.

This is not a system-wide overhaul. It is a targeted correction within a specific program. The VA’s GPD program already has defined standards and expectations. The City simply needs to align its implementation with those standards.

The failure to act is not due to a lack of resources—it is a lack of prioritization.

Relocating veterans from Borden Avenue into vacant hotel shelters is not a radical proposal. It is a practical, cost-effective, and humane solution that can be implemented immediately. It would restore dignity, improve safety, and realign the program with its intended purpose: helping veterans transition successfully into stable housing and civilian life.

New York City has the means. The question now is whether it has the will.

Federal Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Failures in NYC Veteran Housing Program

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:48:35 GMT

Navy Veteran Challenges Conditions, Oversight, and Discrimination in Veterans Affairs Federally Funded Transitional Program

New York City - A federal civil rights lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York is raising serious questions about how New York City administers housing for homeless and transitioning veterans. The case, Pena v. New York City Department of Homeless Services, Institute for Community Living, et al. (26 CV 0176) , alleges widespread failures in safety, oversight, and compliance within a federally funded transitional housing program.

The plaintiff, Timothy Pena, a U.S. Navy veteran with a 70% service-connected disability for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), filed the lawsuit pro se, asserting violations of multiple federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and federal regulations governing the Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem (GPD) transitional program .

At the heart of the complaint is the operation of the GPD program in New York City, which is intended to provide transitional housing and supportive services to veterans experiencing homelessness. According to the lawsuit, city agencies and contracted providers failed to deliver basic services required under federal law, including safe housing, access to healthcare, and case management support.

Veteran Suicide in New York State: 2023 Data Snapshot

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 18:08:12 GMT

A Nearly 26% Increase in Veteran Suicide in One Year

NEW YORK - Recent data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) highlight a concerning increase in suicide rates among veterans in New York State. The findings reveal that suicide remains a persistent and growing public health crisis affecting veterans, despite ongoing prevention efforts and increased attention to mental health services.

"In 2023, the suicide rate among veterans in New York rose sharply to 24.9 deaths per 100,000 veterans, representing a 25.8% increase from the previous year"

A New Year’s Reckoning: When Punishment Is Called Care—and Veterans Pay the Price

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 17:05:07 GMT

New York City Council Committee on Veterans Complicit

New York City - A new year is often described as a reset, a chance to recommit to values that matter. For New York City, that reset must include an honest accounting of how honorably discharged veterans are treated once they fall into homelessness, released from incarceration, or discharge from active service. What has emerged is not a system designed to heal or transition veterans, but one that disciplines, confines, and delays—while claiming the moral high ground of “stabilization.”

At the center of this failure is the NYC Council Committee on Veterans, which continued to meaningfully confront evidence that veterans are being punished for their homelessness, denied transitional services, and warehoused in violent, secluded environments under false pretenses.

Department of Oversight and Investigation Report

In 2024, the New York City Department of Investigation released a report documenting serious deficiencies in oversight, safety, and accountability within city-funded shelter operations overseen by the New York City Department of Homeless Services. Rather than sustained hearings or enforceable reforms, the Committee largely accepted agency explanations. For veterans inside the system, this meant continued isolation, exposure to violence, and denial of pathways out of homelessness.

The human cost is most visible in MICA shelters, where honorably discharged veterans are placed under the claim of mental health stabilization. In reality, many experience these placements as incarceration. Veterans are isolated, subjected to unsafe environments, denied veteran-specific services, and stripped of autonomy.

Compounding this harm are non-veteran caseworkers who withhold transitional services under a philosophy they call “tough love.” In practice, this approach punishes veterans for symptoms of trauma and homelessness, imposing sanctions and discipline instead of care.

Veterans Suffer Blame

Despite this reality, the Committee continues to blame veterans for failing to self-identify. Veterans do not self-identify because identification does not protect them—it exposes them to confinement, discrimination, and punishment.

This is not a technical failure. It is a moral one. Honorably discharged veterans fulfilled their obligations. New York City must fulfill its own and not continue to delay addressing this crisis as the former Committee on Veterans Chairman Robert Holden had done for the previous three years.

The new year must bring accountability: hearings with teeth, independent oversight, guaranteed access to VA services outside DHS control, funding reform, and real consequences when veterans are harmed.

Oversight is not optional. The incoming Committee on Veterans must do better to address veterans’ treatment and rectify this continued embarrassment that is the Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem transitional program.

To read more about the conditions facing Veterans in the Veterans Affairs Grant & Per Diem transitional program and the report to the New York City Council and Committee on Veterans, click on:

REPORT TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

BORDEN AVENUE VETERANS TRANSITIONAL PROGRAM

Printable pdf. NewYearReckoning_20260102

A Call to Action for Veterans: Before It’s Too Late

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 18:43:10 GMT

NYC Council Committee on Veterans Must Confront the Veteran Transitional Program Housing Crisis

New York, NY -- As New York City enters a new legislative cycle with a new Speaker-designate at the helm, one crisis continues to grow, largely unacknowledged: the City’s systemic failure to protect veterans in transitional housing. At the center of this crisis is the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence (BAVR) —the only VA-funded Grant & Per Diem (GPD) site in NYC—where federal policy is being violated and veterans are being retraumatized rather than restored.

The GPD program is a federal initiative designed to give VA-eligible homeless veterans a structured, time-limited transitional environment on their path to independence. But at BAVR, operated by the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and the Institute for Community Living (ICL) , that mandate has been replaced with a co-mingled “MICA” model—housing veterans side-by-side with residents suffering from active drug use and untreated psychiatric disorders. This not only violates federal GPD policies, it endangers veterans, many of whom are already living with PTSD or recovering from substance abuse .

VA-Funded Transitional Program for Veterans Undermined by NYC Shelter Policies

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 19:22:24 GMT

NYC Department of Homeless Services in Violation of Federal Public Law that Provides Veterans Affairs Benefits to Eligible Veterans in MICA Homeless Shelter in Long Island City

New York City’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is facing mounting criticism for its mismanagement of federally funded transitional programs for veterans. At the center of the controversy is the city’s blending of its MICA (Mentally Ill, Chemically Addicted) shelter model with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program—an approach that violates federal law and undermines the recovery of the very veterans the program was designed to serve.

The GPD program, authorized under Public Law 109-461 (Title II, Section 2061 of Title 38, U.S. Code), was established to help homeless veterans by funding transitional programs that offer structured, sober, and supportive environments. Grantees are required to provide comprehensive case management, mental health and substance use treatment, and referrals to permanent housing. Central to the program is the requirement that grantees maintain a recovery-oriented setting that protects the health and safety of all participants.

Despite these federal standards, DHS has allowed GPD-funded programs in New York City—most notably the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence (BAVR)—to operate as MICA shelters. This MICA designation, governed by city-level harm-reduction policies, allows continued residence for individuals who actively use drugs, exhibit violent behavior, or suffer from untreated mental illness. These policies are fundamentally incompatible with the recovery-focused mission of the GPD transitional program.

Veterans placed in these facilities are subjected to highly destabilizing environments. Reports from BAVR include widespread drug use, violent assaults, and dangerous residents. Some veterans suffering from PTSD have been forced to sleep under 24-hour fluorescent lighting out of fear, while others have relapsed into substance use due to persistent exposure to heroin and other drugs inside their dormitories. These conditions violate both the letter and the spirit of the GPD program’s legal mandate.

Program administrators frequently cite MICA protections as justification for their refusal to discharge disruptive or noncompliant residents. However, GPD regulations under 38 U.S.C. § 2012 clearly state that grantees must take corrective action when the safety or therapeutic environment of a program is compromised. DHS’s failure to enforce these requirements represents not only gross mismanagement but a breach of its funding obligations.

This misuse of GPD transitional program funds raises serious concerns about accountability. DHS receives more than $4 million annually in federal GPD grants, yet contracted providers such as the Institute for Community Living (ICL) have failed to uphold compliance. ICL reported $188.6 million in revenue last year and paid its CEO nearly $500,000, while veterans at its sites went without access to proper nutrition, clean facilities, or transportation to medical appointments. The roof at BAVR, for instance, has reportedly leaked for over a decade without repair.

The VA’s Office of Inspector General has previously cited discrepancies in discharge tracking and outcome reporting at GPD sites in New York City. By allowing ineligible individuals to reside in GPD-funded programs and failing to follow federally mandated discharge procedures, DHS and its providers may also be submitting inaccurate data—concealing systemic failures and risking further misuse of federal funds.

Reform advocates are calling for immediate corrective actions. These include separating GPD transitional programs from city-run MICA shelters, enforcing VA discharge policies, transferring oversight to veteran-focused providers such as Catholic Charities or Samaritan Village, and conducting a full federal audit of GPD fund usage in New York City.

The GPD program was never intended to be a general-purpose shelter for the mentally ill and chemically addicted. It was designed as a structured, transitional program to help honorably discharged veterans move from homelessness toward stability and independence. New York City’s failure to respect this mandate has placed those veterans in harm’s way—and undermined a critical national program.

To restore trust and integrity in the system, city and federal authorities must act swiftly to bring GPD operations in New York back into compliance with Public Law 109-461. Veterans answered the nation’s call to serve. Now, the programs created to support them must do the same.

Printable pdf. MICAshelters_20250725

Errant Email Exposes End Veteran Debt Founder Bankruptcy and Collections

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 11:58:07 GMT

Staten Island Director of Veterans Services for Staten Island Military and Veterans Families (SMVF) Taskforce and Business Partner Claims He Was Unaware

New York, NY -- A nonprofit dedicated to ending veteran debt is scaling back fundraising after its founder, Jerry Ashton, inadvertently sent an email admitting to bankruptcy and years of unfiled taxes to Timothy Pena , a veteran advocate and fellow journalist. The misdirected email has not only shaken the credibility of End Veteran Debt (EVD) —a charity Ashton launched in 2024—but has also exposed internal fractures within its partnership with Staten Island’s Performing Provider System (SI PPS) and its director, Michael Matthews .

The October 24, 2025 email, intended for Ashton’s attorney, described a call with the Long Island law firm Smith Carroad Wan & Parikh over unpaid debts tied to Ashton’s media venture, Let’s Rethink This . In it, Ashton explained he was “in the process of filing for bankruptcy” and catching up on “three years of tax filings.” He added that his own attorney had apparently refuted him as a client before asking, “What next, coach?” — believing Pena to be his lawyer.

For Pena, the accidental disclosure confirmed what he had long suspected: that EVD’s leadership lacked the transparency and accountability expected of a veteran-serving nonprofit.

Ashton’s bankruptcy revelation came just weeks after Pena was barred from the Staten Island Military and Veterans Families (SMVF) Taskforce meeting, which Matthews oversees. Pena had objected to a proposed collaboration between EVD and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) . In a September 29 letter to AFSP, Pena warned that Ashton had ridiculed his service-connected PTSD and excluded him from a suicide prevention summit at Fordham University despite confirming him as a panelist. “Veteran suicide is not something to exploit to promote a funding scheme,” Pena wrote. “Vulnerable veterans place dependency on organizations like these in different ways—and Jerry doesn’t realize that.”

The Fordham event, Righting Veteran Wrongs, Ending Veteran Suicide , was heavily promoted through SI PPS newsletters and emails. The partnership touted a goal of forgiving $1 million in veteran debt through EVD’s “Operation Debt-Day” campaign. Ashton, a Navy veteran and former co-founder of RIP Medical Debt , was spotlighted as a national whistleblower and reformer. The Staten Island campaign promised to raise $15,000 locally to “support the Staten Island Veteran and Active Duty Community”.

But Pena, also a member of Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ) like Ashton, began questioning how the organization would actually identify and assist indebted veterans. In a series of emails, he pressed Matthews for answers about EVD’s debt-purchasing practices. Matthews responded that EVD worked with ForgiveCo , a for-profit intermediary that buys and retires debt in bulk, and acknowledged that “the VA debt actually is not available for purchase.” He further conceded that EVD “cannot forgive individual debt” and that the organization does not even know who benefits until after portfolios are purchased.

For Pena, this was proof of a misleading public message. “End Veteran Debt gives the impression that you can have my debt forgiven, which is not the case,” he wrote to Matthews. “This is more about purchasing VA debt and less about the regular veteran whose credit score is in the toilet”.

Donations Diverted: City Faces Scrutiny Over Borden Avenue Veterans Residence

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 21:04:50 GMT

Despite millions in federal funding and steady community support, veterans at Borden Avenue report missing donations, a closed kitchen, and retaliation for speaking out.

New York, NY -- The Borden Avenue Veterans Residence (BAVR) in Long Island City has long been billed as New York City’s only federally funded transitional program for homeless veterans. Yet recent controversies show that while community generosity flows in, those donations are often diverted, restricted, or never reach the veterans they were intended for.

The issue came to light again this year as Council Member Robert Holden, chair of the City Council’s Committee on Veterans, recounted how donations he and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 32 had collected—valued at nearly $10,000 in coats, gloves, socks, and jackets—were delivered to the shelter. But while the goods were allowed in, the donors themselves were told they could not distribute them unless they signed disclaimers, which functioned like non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). The VVA veterans refused, saying it was insulting to require secrecy just to hand out socks, and they were prevented from entering.

Holden signed the NDA himself, gaining entry but effectively silencing himself from disclosing any abuses or unsafe conditions he may have observed inside. For veterans and advocates, this decision was not just accommodation but complicity—especially since Holden had already been made aware of problems at Borden Avenue long before the January 2025 hearing where he raised his objections.

“This is disturbing,” Holden said at that hearing. “DHS is circling the wagons.” Despite the remarks, he has not followed up with subpoenas, oversight hearings, or action. Veterans who appealed to him for help have fallen on deaf ears. This is an issue has infected the entirety of the Committee on Veterans. And with Holden now at the end of his term limits on the City Council, it is doubtful that little will be accomplished before he leaves office.

Veteran Debt and Suicide Risk: Broadening the Scope

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:12:39 GMT

Financial Instability Increasingly Recognized as a Risk Factor for Veteran Suicide

Introduction

Veteran suicide remains a national emergency, with rates significantly higher than those of civilians. In 2022 alone, there were 6,407 veteran suicide deaths in the United States, underscoring the scale of the crisis. Mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression are major contributors, but financial instability is increasingly recognized as a critical risk factor. Debt—whether from consumer credit, medical costs, housing arrears, court fines, educational loans, or obligations owed to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—magnifies stress and despair. Addressing these debts is therefore not only an economic issue but a matter of suicide prevention.

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Consumer and Credit Debt

Many veterans fall into consumer debt after separation from service, often through credit cards, personal loans, or payday lenders. Steady disability or pension payments can make veterans targets for predatory financial products. When these debts grow unmanageable, they generate shame and anxiety that compound mental health struggles. Nationally, financial stress is a known factor in suicide: 16 percent of U.S. suicide deaths involved financial or job-related problems.

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Medical Debt

Despite VA health coverage, gaps in eligibility, delays in enrollment, and treatment sought outside the VA leave many veterans burdened with private medical bills. Emergency care and uncovered prescriptions can quickly create significant debt. Nonprofits like RIP Medical Debt have canceled millions in veteran medical obligations, highlighting how widespread the problem is.

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Housing and Rent Debt

Housing insecurity remains one of the strongest predictors of crisis. Veterans often face delayed HUD-VASH vouchers, a lack of affordable housing, and high urban rents. Falling behind on rent leads to arrears and eviction, while homelessness itself elevates suicide risk. Among veterans unable to cover basic needs such as food, shelter, or transportation, 22 percent reported suicidal thoughts within a year, compared with only 7 percent of financially stable veterans.

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Court Fines and Legal Fees

Legal system debt is often hidden but destructive. Court fines, probation fees, and traffic violations escalate with penalties, leading to suspended licenses that block employment and care access. For veterans with PTSD or substance use disorders, even small fines can snowball into major crises. Studies show that veterans with legal financial obligations have more than double the odds of suicidal behavior, while people facing multiple financial strains are up to 20 times more likely to attempt suicide than those without such burdens.

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Educational Debt

The Post-9/11 GI Bill has reduced educational costs for many, but veterans still encounter gaps. Those who exhaust their benefits, attend non-accredited institutions, or take on loans for dependents often accumulate debt. Credit transfer issues and hidden fees compound the problem, creating unexpected financial instability during reintegration.

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Debt to Veterans Affairs

An often-overlooked burden is debt owed directly to the VA. Veterans may be billed for overpayments of disability benefits, pension adjustments, or GI Bill housing stipends. These debts often result from administrative errors or delays in processing, yet the VA’s Debt Management Center aggressively pursues repayment. Veterans sometimes receive sudden notifications of thousands of dollars owed, years after benefits were issued. For those already vulnerable, being pursued by the very agency charged with their care deepens mistrust and despair.

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Suicide Risk and the Weight of Debt

The connection between debt and suicide among veterans is clear. In addition to the 16 percent of suicide deaths nationally linked to financial or job problems, a study of active-duty service members found that 23 percent in suicidal crisis reported financial stress within the 24 hours prior to their episode. Financial instability is not an isolated hardship; it interacts with PTSD, depression, and social isolation to create a lethal environment.

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Policy Recommendations

Transparency and Fairness: VA debt should be resolved with compassion and clarity, ensuring veterans are not penalized for administrative errors.
Targeted Debt Relief: Programs should focus on veterans most at risk—those with disabilities, homelessness, or court entanglements.
Treatment Court Expansion: Courts should be empowered to waive or convert fines into treatment, training, or community service.
Debt Buy-Back Programs: Nonprofits and governments can partner to purchase and cancel veteran debts, including court and municipal fines.
Integrated Counseling: Financial literacy and counseling should be embedded into VA and community mental health programs.
Honest Communication: Policymakers must avoid vague promises of “ending veteran debt,” which risk creating false hope. Programs should specify scope, timelines, and eligibility.

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Conclusion

Debt—whether owed to banks, landlords, courts, schools, or even the VA—is more than a financial strain. It is a measurable driver of suicide risk. Veterans burdened by debt are significantly more likely to experience suicidal ideation, with figures showing risks three times higher for those unable to meet basic needs and up to twenty-fold higher for those under multiple financial strains. Real solutions demand more than rhetoric. By addressing debt directly, transparently, and compassionately, society can reduce suicide risk, restore dignity, and honor the nation’s obligation to its veterans.

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References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS): Suicide circumstances. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nvdrs

• Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. (2024). 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/data.asp

• Duke University Health System. (2021, October 21). Financial strains significantly raise risk of suicide attempts. https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/financial-strains-significantly-raise-risk-suicide-attempts

• Monteith, L. L., Holliday, R., & Bahraini, N. H. (2023). Financial strain and suicide risk among U.S. veterans: The role of unmet basic needs. Psychiatric Services, 74(2), 198–205. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202200067

• Reger, M. A., Smolenski, D. J., & Skopp, N. A. (2015). Risk of suicide among U.S. military service members following Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment and separation from the U.S. military. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(6), 561–569. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.3195

Printable pdf: Veteran Debt and Suicide Risk: Broadening the Scope (4 pages)

Printable pdf: Table: Veteran Debt Categories, Suicide Risk, and Policy Responses (1 page)

The Intersection of Debt, Court Fines, and Suicide Risk Among U.S. Veterans

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 20:17:14 GMT

Care Must Be Taken When Offering Services to End Veteran Debt

Introduction

Veterans of the United States Armed Forces continue to experience disproportionately high rates of suicide compared to the civilian population. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has consistently identified suicide prevention as its top clinical priority. While mental health factors such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and substance use are well established, there is growing recognition of the role of financial instability as a compounding driver of risk.

Debt—whether from consumer loans, medical expenses, or legal system fines—has become a significant but under-discussed determinant of veterans’ well-being. This report examines how debt contributes to suicide risk among veterans, with a focus on court fines and fees, and evaluates the potential consequences of unclear or overly broad promises of debt cancellation. The report concludes with targeted recommendations for policymakers, advocates, and service providers.

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Suicide and Financial Stress: A Documented Connection

National suicide data confirm that financial stress is a measurable risk factor for self-harm. A CDC-linked analysis revealed that 16 percent of individuals who died by suicide in the U.S. were facing documented financial or job-related problems. For veterans, the link is even stronger.

Service Members in Crisis: One study found that 23 percent of active-duty soldiers in suicidal crisis had experienced a financial stressor within the 24 hours prior to their crisis.
Veterans in Financial Hardship: Among veterans who lacked the money to cover basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, or transportation, 22 percent reported suicidal thoughts within a year, compared to 7 percent of veterans with financial stability.
Compounded Risk: Research outside the veteran population has shown that individuals facing multiple financial stressors are up to 20 times more likely to attempt suicide compared with peers facing none.

The conclusion is clear: debt and financial instability are not only economic hardships, they are suicide risk factors that must be treated as central components of prevention strategies.

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The Overlooked Burden of Court Fees and Legal Debt

Most public discussions of veteran debt focus on credit card balances, payday loans, or medical expenses. However, court-related fines and fees are a hidden but critical source of financial instability. Veterans may accumulate legal debt from traffic violations, probation supervision charges, or municipal penalties. These costs can quickly escalate through late fees and enforcement actions.

For veterans already struggling with PTSD, substance use, or homelessness, even a minor citation can snowball into unmanageable debt. License suspensions caused by unpaid fines prevent veterans from commuting to work or attending medical appointments, perpetuating unemployment and instability. Unlike consumer debt, these legal obligations are rarely dischargeable in bankruptcy.

Analysis of veterans’ health records underscores the risk. Legal problems have been identified as one of the most significant social determinants of suicide, with odds of suicidal behavior more than doubling among veterans facing legal debt. For those already vulnerable, legal financial obligations serve as both a financial and psychological trap.

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The Risks of Unclear Promises of Debt Cancellation

In recent years, political leaders at federal and state levels have floated proposals to “end veteran debt.” While such pledges attract attention and generate public goodwill, they often lack specificity regarding scope, eligibility, and implementation timelines. For veterans already under financial strain, these vague assurances present risk.

1. False Hope
Veterans may delay seeking financial counseling, negotiating with creditors, or addressing overdue court fees if they believe widespread relief is imminent.

2. Erosion of Trust
If promised relief is delayed, underfunded, or restricted to certain debt categories, veterans who counted on assistance may feel betrayed, worsening stress and mistrust of institutions.

3. Uneven Outcomes
Veterans with the greatest need—those burdened by court fines, probation costs, or informal debts—may discover they are excluded from forgiveness programs that focus narrowly on consumer loans or medical bills.

4. Discouragement from Immediate Action
By fostering reliance on possible future relief, broad promises can discourage veterans from pursuing immediate, pragmatic interventions that could stabilize their situation today.

For veterans experiencing both financial hardship and suicidal ideation, the psychological cost of dashed expectations is substantial and potentially life-threatening.

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Policy and Programmatic Solutions

1. Targeted Debt Relief

Debt cancellation should focus first on veterans most at risk of suicide. This includes those with service-connected disabilities, those experiencing homelessness, and those entangled in the criminal justice system. Relief programs should prioritize court fees and fines alongside medical debt and predatory loans.

2. Veteran Treatment Courts and Amnesty Programs

Expansion of veteran treatment courts can provide alternatives to financial penalties by converting fines into community service, vocational training, or mandatory treatment programs. Municipalities should also establish veteran-specific amnesty periods for unpaid fines and fees.

3. Debt Buy-Back Initiatives

Nonprofits have successfully purchased and canceled medical debt at pennies on the dollar. Similar models could be piloted for municipal fines or probation fees, reducing financial strain while strengthening community partnerships.

4. Integrated Financial and Mental Health Services

Debt cannot be addressed in isolation from mental health. VA facilities and community partners should embed financial counseling, benefits navigation, and legal aid into existing suicide prevention programs. Veterans receiving debt relief should be simultaneously offered peer support and mental health resources.

5. Honest Communication

Perhaps most importantly, policymakers must be transparent about what debt relief programs can and cannot deliver. Clear communication prevents false hope, sets realistic expectations, and preserves trust. Messaging should emphasize immediate resources available to veterans today, even as broader reforms are pursued.

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Conclusion

Suicide among veterans is a multifactorial crisis, and financial stress plays a central role in increasing risk. Studies demonstrate that veterans facing financial hardship are significantly more likely to experience suicidal ideation, and legal debt compounds the problem by creating barriers to employment, transportation, and stability.

While proposals to erase veteran debt are well-intentioned, broad promises without clarity or scope can inadvertently deepen despair. Veterans should not be left waiting for sweeping solutions that may never fully materialize. Instead, policies must deliver targeted relief, prioritize those most at risk, and integrate financial support with mental health care.

Debt relief for veterans—especially for legal-system debts that block stability—is more than an economic reform. It is a suicide prevention strategy and a moral obligation. By addressing both the material and psychological weight of debt, society can reduce risk, restore dignity, and begin to honor the nation’s commitment to those who have served.

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References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS): Suicide circumstances. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nvdrs
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. (2024). 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/data.asp
Duke University Health System. (2021, October 21). Financial strains significantly raise risk of suicide attempts. https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/financial-strains-significantly-raise-risk-suicide-attempts
Hendin, H., & Haas, A. P. (1991). Suicide and guilt as manifestations of PTSD in Vietnam combat veterans. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148(5), 586–591. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.148.5.586
Monteith, L. L., Holliday, R., & Bahraini, N. H. (2023). Financial strain and suicide risk among U.S. veterans: The role of unmet basic needs. Psychiatric Services, 74(2), 198–205. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202200067
Reger, M. A., Smolenski, D. J., & Skopp, N. A. (2015). Risk of suicide among U.S. military service members following Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment and separation from the U.S. military. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(6), 561–569. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.3195

Printable Executive Summary (1 page)

Printable Report (4 pages)

The Rabbit Hole of Suicide: A Veteran’s Journey

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:29:13 GMT

Suicide ideation is a tug-of-war. One side whispers, “Let go.” The other side reminds you of the unfinished business

On December 22, 2021, I woke up exhausted—not the kind of tired a night’s sleep could cure, but the bone-deep fatigue that comes from years of invisible battles. Police wellness checks had become routine, with young officers standing at my door, weapons ready, trying to decide if I was a danger to myself. Life no longer felt like living; it felt like waiting.

That morning, with a zip tie in my hand, I thought the decision was final. But suicide is never a straight line. Doubts kept circling me: What about my will? What about Molly, my dog? What about the food in the refrigerator? Even in the darkest moment, hesitation lingered.

Then a friend arrived. She didn’t bring therapy manuals or government forms. She didn’t try to convince me of anything—she simply said, “Hey buddy?” and offered lunch. That human connection shifted the balance. I realized that if I was still worried about loose ends, maybe I wasn’t ready to go. That day didn’t end in tragedy—it ended in survival.

Exactly one year later, on December 22, 2022, I moved into my own apartment in New York City. The symmetry was not lost on me: a date once tied to despair had become a marker of renewal. Unfortunately, just five weeks later my uncle passed away from lung cancer.

But surviving in New York meant confronting a new battlefield—the shelter system. For veterans, it was less a refuge than a warehouse. At Borden Avenue Veterans Residence, men who had served were packed into cubicles or open bays, fed scraps, and denied access to benefits promised under the VA’s Grant & Per Diem program.

Bureaucracy deepened the wounds. What should have been quick tasks—approving vouchers, sending emails—dragged on for weeks. Veterans left the program and never returned. Some, I fear, chose suicide.

The result is a perfect storm: indignity in shelters, systemic neglect, and the crushing weight of PTSD, TBI, depression, or substance use. In 2023, 6,195 veterans died by suicide. Forty percent were under VA care when they died. These are not isolated tragedies—they are systemic failures.

For me, suicide was less about despair than doubt. I doubted the system, doubted whether anyone cared, doubted my own strength. Yet within that doubt lived survival: Am I ready? Do I truly want this to be the end? Who will feed my dog? Small questions became lifelines. Doubt can become the thin line between life and death.

My journey did not stop at survival—it became a mission. Today, I advocate, write, and challenge systems that treat paperwork as compassion. Suicide must be spoken about—not as weakness, but as reality. It must be addressed not only with therapy, but with logistics, dignity, and action.

Today is World Mental Health Day—a time to remember that one conversation, one simple act, can change everything. Veterans and civilians alike need to know that they are not alone, and that doubt can be the thread that keeps life intact. It’s been a tough week for me after being betrayed by fellow veterans simply because I dare to speak out on this important subject. They would rather see me dead than show tolerance.

When I speak with veterans, I share what my friend once told me, and what I later told my uncle when he admitted his own weariness: “Hold on. We’ll make a plan. You are not alone.”

Systemic Failures in Veteran Care: Widespread Failures and Resident Abuse at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System in Queens

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:19:06 GMT

Veterans deserve safe, transitional housing with clear reporting procedures, thorough investigations, proper documentation, and staff trained to respond to incidents

New York, NY -- A recent Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) report revealed serious failures at the St. Albans Community Living Center (CLC) in Queens . Delayed investigations, incomplete medical assessments, and a pervasive culture of silence left residents at risk. While the findings focus on long-term medical care, they echo long-standing issues in the Grant & Per Diem (GPD) program at the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence (BAVR) .

BAVR provides transitional housing and support for veterans experiencing homelessness. However, multiple reports and firsthand accounts show systemic failures similar to those identified at the CLC. Veterans have described unsafe living conditions, delayed responses to complaints, and inconsistent oversight. Staff often lack training to manage abuse allegations or respond to resident concerns, creating a climate where problems go unreported or are superficially investigated.

Federal Lawsuit Targets NYC Dept. of Homeless Services, Institute for Community Living, and Former Manhattan VA Homeless Services Director Over Veteran Care Failures

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:18:57 GMT

Borden Avenue veterans' program accused of violating federal law, denying services, and retaliating against veterans who speak out.

New York, NY-A federal lawsuit has been filed against New York City’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the Institute for Community Living (ICL), and former Manhattan VA Homeless Services Director Karen Fuller, accusing them of unsafe shelter conditions, misuse of federal funds, and unlawful retaliation against veterans.

The case centers on the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence (BAVR) in Queens, the only federally funded Grant & Per Diem (GPD) program available to homeless veterans in New York City. The lawsuit claims the facility was mismanaged in violation of federal law, leaving veterans in degrading conditions instead of the recovery-oriented housing required by law.

Alleged Violations

According to the complaint, DHS and ICL operated BAVR under a MICA (Mentally Ill, Chemically Addicted) shelter model that tolerated drug use, violence, and untreated mental illness. This approach, it argues, contradicted Public Law 109-461 and 38 CFR § 61, which require federally funded veterans’ housing to be safe, sober, and supportive.

The lawsuit lists several failures:

• Lack of transportation to VA medical and mental health appointments.

• Nutritional neglect, falling below federal standards.

• Unsafe facilities without required sinks and toilets.

• Overcrowded conditions that denied veterans privacy and dignity.

Shifting Blame

Pena attacks the city’s definition of “success,” describing it as putting a veteran in a room with five doors, demanding they pick the right one, and then faulting them for choosing wrong. It argues that the system deliberately sets veterans up for failure, shifting responsibility away from mismanagement and onto those the program is supposed to serve.

NYC Homeless Programs Deny Transportation for Honorably-Discharged Veterans - Despite Veterans Affairs Funding

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 15:48:22 GMT

Lack of Transportation for VA-eligible Veterans in Violations of Congress and Federal Public Law

New York, NY — A federally funded transitional housing program for homeless veterans in Queens is in violation of federal law and failing to meet even the most basic standards of care. The Borden Avenue Veterans Residence, operated by the Institute for Community Living (ICL) through a contract with the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), has denied legally required transportation to VA-eligible veterans while exposing them to unsafe, unhealthy living conditions—despite receiving millions of dollars in VA Grant and Per Diem (GPD) funds.

The VA GPD program set forth in Public Law 109-461 , codified at 38 U.S.C. § 2012 and governed by 38 CFR Part 61 , mandates that providers offer more than temporary housing. Under 38 CFR § 61.80 (f) , grantees must “assist each veteran in obtaining health care benefits, including providing or arranging transportation to medical appointments as needed.”

Borden Avenue fails this requirement entirely.

The situation at Borden Avenue is not a singular lapse—it is a systematic failure of city, contractor, and federal oversight. Veterans are being neglected, exposed to harm, and misled about the benefits they’ve earned through service to this country.

NYC Denies Transportation _ 20250805 - printable pdf (2 pgs)

Not All Veterans Are Created Equal

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:59:25 GMT

NYC Council and Mayor Must Do Better for VA-Eligible Veterans

The New York City Council has recently placed blame on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the inadequacies in veteran services, particularly in regards to the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program, without acknowledging that the VA already provides significant resources for veterans. The real issue, however, lies in the mismanagement and corruption within the city’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS), which has consistently failed veterans despite receiving substantial federal funding.

DHS is allocated over $4 million annually to provide safe, drug-free housing and support services for veterans. Yet, facilities like the Borden Avenue Veterans Shelter continue to fail those they are meant to serve. The shelter has been plagued by unsafe living conditions, including a leaking roof for over ten years, lack of basic hygiene products, and insufficient transportation to VA healthcare appointments. DHS has also misallocated federal funds intended to support veterans’ transition from homelessness into permanent housing, diverting these resources to other uses that do not directly benefit VA-eligible veterans.

The Grant and Per Diem program, which is supposed to assist veterans in securing stable housing, has been hijacked by DHS. Instead of providing veterans with the resources they need, the Borden Avenue shelter has been converted into a MICA (Mental Illness and Chemical Abuse) facility, housing veterans alongside individuals with severe mental health issues and substance abuse problems. This mismanagement exacerbates veterans’ trauma rather than helping them heal. Furthermore, the city’s loose definition of a "veteran" contributes to the issue. Many individuals at Borden Avenue do not meet the federal VA’s eligibility criteria, but are still placed in these facilities, leaving true VA-eligible veterans to suffer unsafe conditions without proper care.

Veterans have kept their promises to this country, and it is time for New York City to honor its promises to them. The City Council must take action to ensure that veterans receive the resources they need and that agencies like DHS and ICL are held accountable for their misuse of federal funds. The time to act is now, before more veterans continue to fall through the cracks.

Not All Veterans Are Created Equal (printable pdf)

Weighing the Risks of SQUARES

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 16:17:37 GMT

Continued NYC Corruption Affecting Veterans' Access to Housing and Resources

Veterans face numerous challenges when transitioning back into civilian life, especially when it comes to accessing housing and necessary resources. However, there are concerns that corruption within organizations such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), and the Institute for Community Living (ICL) may be denying veterans the support they desperately need. If corruption is present, the consequences could be severe—not only for the veterans but for the integrity of the systems designed to help them.

One possible risk is the misuse of veterans' personal data, especially through systems like SQUARES (System for Quantitative Assessment and Reporting of Eligibility and Services) . If data is manipulated or exploited for personal gain, veterans may be wrongfully denied housing or other services. The VA has faced criticism in the past for mishandling records, and if corruption influences the management of veterans' information, it could result in delays or denials of housing assistance.

The SQUARES is a system used by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to facilitate the exchange of real-time status information regarding veterans’ benefits. It allows different organizations—such as state agencies, local governments, and other federal entities—to query the VA system to verify a veteran’s eligibility for various benefits or services.

The system is primarily used to provide timely and accurate responses to queries regarding veterans’ eligibility for healthcare, education, housing, and other VA programs. It is a tool that helps streamline processes and ensures veterans receive the benefits they are entitled to.

Similarly, corruption within DHS could result in veterans being denied housing or forced to endure long delays. Caseworkers are responsible for processing applications, including those for veterans relying on programs like CityFHEPS and HUD/VASH. If corrupt practices interfere, veterans could be overlooked or given lower priority, leaving them homeless or in overcrowded shelters.

The Institute for Community Living (ICL) could also be a factor if corruption leads to the misallocation of resources or falsification of records. This would further hinder veterans’ ability to access housing and care, potentially leading to neglect of their needs.

If corruption is influencing these systems, it’s crucial to improve oversight, transparency, and accountability. Veterans deserve access to the support they’ve earned, and any misuse of resources or information only compounds their struggles.

Printable pdf 20250322_squares-risks

Bringing the Community and Veterans Together

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:31:27 GMT

Lessons from Phoenix: How a Stand Down Can Help NYC’s 135,000 Veterans

New York City is home to approximately 135,000 veterans, a population facing significant challenges in housing, employment, and healthcare. While the city offers various services for veterans, accessing them can be a daunting process filled with bureaucratic obstacles. One proven solution that has made a substantial impact in other cities—such as Phoenix, Arizona—is the Stand Down event. These events bring essential services under one roof, providing immediate support to veterans in need.

Conclusion

A Stand Down in NYC could be a game-changer for the city’s 135,000 veterans . By learning from Phoenix’s success and tailoring the event to NYC’s unique challenges, the city can significantly reduce veteran homelessness, improve access to healthcare, and provide critical employment opportunities. The opportunities are there.

For more information, click on the Stand Down NYC page or reach out:

Timothy Pena

Veterans Justice Project

tim.pena@vetjuspro.com

Printable pdf 20250319_standdown_article

The Financial Impact of Foreign Tourism

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 14:25:40 GMT

Tariff War Puts $200 Billion International Tourism At Risk

Foreign tourism generates multiple layers of economic benefits, categorized as primary, secondary, and tertiary profits.

1. Direct Contribution (Primary Profits):

In 2023, the tourism sector's direct contribution to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached $619.8 billion, accounting for 2.4% of the nation's GDP. These are the immediate earnings from tourist spending in core sectors:

• Accommodation – Hotels, resorts, hostels, and rental properties.

• Transportation – Airlines, car rentals, taxis, and public transit.

• Food and Beverage – Restaurants, cafes, bars, and street vendors.

• Attractions & Entertainment – Museums, theme parks, guided tours, and cultural sites.

• Retail & Souvenirs – Shops selling local goods, crafts, and duty-free items.

2. Total Contribution (Including Indirect and Induced Revenues):

When considering the broader economic impact, which includes indirect and induced contributions, the Travel & Tourism sector's total contribution to the U.S. GDP was $2.36 trillion in 2023. These profits arise from the supply chain supporting the tourism industry:

• Supply & Service Providers – Businesses supplying hotels, restaurants, and tour companies (e.g., food suppliers, laundry services, security, and maintenance).

• Construction & Infrastructure – Investments in roads, airports, hotels, and tourism-related facilities.

• Marketing & Advertising – Companies promoting destinations through digital campaigns, travel agencies, and tour operators.

• Local Agriculture & Manufacturing – Farmers and artisans benefiting from the demand for food, textiles, and crafts.

3. Tertiary Profits (Induced Revenue)

These are long-term, economy-wide benefits driven by tourism growth:

• Job Creation & Wage Growth – Increased employment in various sectors, improving local income levels.

• Urban Development & Real Estate Growth – Demand for new hotels, resorts, and commercial spaces boosts property values.

• Government Revenue – Taxes on tourism-related businesses, such as hotel occupancy taxes, airline fees, and sales tax.

• Community Development – Tourism profits reinvested in public services, infrastructure, and cultural preservation.

• Knowledge & Cultural Exchange – Exposure to different cultures, languages, and business practices that enhance local innovation and skills.

4. Employment Impact:

The industry supported approximately 18 million jobs across the country, surpassing the previous record of 17.4 million. Each layer contributes to a more sustainable and dynamic economy, reinforcing tourism’s role as a key driver of development.

5. Canadian Boycott Impact

The U.S. Travel Association estimates that a 10% reduction in Canadian travel could result in a $2.1 billion decrease in spending and the loss of approximately 14,000 American jobs. Recent data indicates a more pronounced downturn. In February 2025, the number of Canadians driving to the U.S. fell by 23% compared to the same month in the previous year. Additionally, major Canadian travel agencies have reported a 40% decrease in leisure bookings to U.S. destinations.

6. Conclusion

Whatever the outcome of the tariff wars between the U.S. and the rest of the world, Tourism will also get more expensive and endearment for everything America has to offer foreign tourists will suffer. The U.S. typically earns over $200 billion annually from international visitors. If tariffs lead to fewer foreign tourists due to higher costs or strained diplomatic relations, the U.S. could lose billions in revenue each year.

Printable pdf

Discrepancies in Veterans Enrolled in the GPD Program

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 02:17:46 GMT

Homeless Veterans, Veterans Affairs Monies Unaccounted For

In New York City, the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program serves as a critical resource for homeless veterans, offering shelter and support services. However, a deeper look into the program reveals troubling discrepancies and inefficiencies that complicate veterans' access to housing and services. These issues not only hinder the program's effectiveness but also undermine the quality of life for those it aims to help.

The Borden Avenue Veterans Residence (BAVR) in Long Island City is the only GPD facility in the city. Over the years, enrollment in the program has shown a fluctuating trend. In fiscal year 2023, 243 veterans were enrolled, but by fiscal year 2025, that number dropped to just 164. This decrease in enrollees suggests a variety of underlying issues, from eligibility changes to potentially declining program awareness or effectiveness. The numbers reflect a broader trend of reduced participation, which could be attributed to the complicated application process, limited resources, or the lack of outreach efforts.

Despite a decline in enrollees, the number of successful exits from the program has seen a modest increase. In fiscal year 2024, 64% of veterans exited successfully, a slight improvement from the previous year's 61%. However, this success rate is clouded by a rising number of unsuccessful exits, which spiked to 41 in FY 2024, up from 31 in FY 2023. This indicates that while more veterans are leaving the program, many are still failing to achieve permanent housing.

Veterans For Sale: Exploiting Homeless Veterans

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:28:47 GMT

Veterans Affairs Shelter Borden Avenue Shuts Out Donors, Opens Door to Disability Claims Predators

Any community engagement at Borden Avenue Veteran’s Residence is relegated to outside on the sidewalk which also doubles as parking for ICL staff. NYC Council Member and Chairman of Veterans Services Robert Holden says he was forced to sign an NDA before allowed to enter Borden Ave to distribute donated coats, scarves, and gloves.

Veterans Affairs Policies on Solicitation

Veteran Affairs policies on solicitation focus on regulating how veterans' organizations, businesses, and individuals seek donations, services, or other forms of support. These policies are designed to protect veterans from fraud and ensure that any fundraising or solicitations align with the VA’s mission to support veterans and their families. The VA requires that any solicitation efforts involving the use of veterans' images, names, or other identifying information must have prior written approval from the department.

Additionally, the VA enforces restrictions on aggressive or misleading solicitation tactics, such as high-pressure sales or false claims about the benefits provided to veterans. These safeguards aim to maintain the integrity of fundraising efforts and ensure that veterans' interests are prioritized. Veterans Affairs also emphasizes the importance of educating veterans on their rights and available resources to avoid exploitation, including requiring Veterans Affairs accredited veterans agencies and service officers. Overall, VA solicitation policies serve to protect both veterans and donors, ensuring that the funds raised are effectively used to support veterans’ well-being and that solicitation practices are ethical and lawful.

US Patriot Fund and SOS Veteran Assistance

Donations for veterans in the Veterans Affairs Grant & Per Diem (GPD) transitional program are a necessary component to a successful exit into sustainable housing and the community. As with most transitional programs, the community is encouraged to donate in the form of direct financial donations, clothing, hygiene, food, and resources often found on their websites. Neither The Institute for Community Living (ICL) nor the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) have such opportunities for donations, barely mentioning veterans at all, much less those in Veterans Affairs transitional programs.

According to SOS Veteran Assistance , “This website, its owners, affiliates, and partners are not affiliated with any Local, State, or Federal Government agency and its marketing materials, and/or strategies are not affiliated with or approved by the U.S. Government. This website assists Veterans in applying for and obtaining Veterans benefits by pre-qualifying Veterans and connecting them to a service provider who may be able to provide supporting medical evidence to substantiate their Veteran disability benefits claims.”

Veterans For Sale Printable PDF (4 pages)

The Struggles of Veterans in New York City's Homeless Shelters: A Call for Change

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 21:13:26 GMT

Correct the Allotment Disparity for Veteran’s Services: Sign the Petition

Homelessness among veterans in New York City is a crisis that extends beyond the lack of affordable housing—it’s also a result of systemic failures within the city’s shelter programs. Despite numerous initiatives designed to support veterans, many of these individuals face neglect, poor treatment, and a lack of fundamental services in the shelters they are referred to. This issue has worsened due to inefficient policies and widespread neglect by the Department of Veterans Affairs Grant & Per Diem (GPD) program, NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS), and Institute for Community Living (ICL) leaving veterans in a vulnerable and often dehumanizing situation.

For many veterans, transitioning from the military, homelessness, personal tragedy, or relocation to sustainable housing and wellness can be a daunting process, especially when compounded by mental and physical health challenges. Unfortunately, the systems designed to assist these individuals are not meeting their needs. Veterans are subjected to a cold, bureaucratic system that often views them as burdens rather than individuals worthy of respect and care. Shelters across the city have become a battleground for basic dignity, as veterans report being treated with contempt by both staff and fellow residents. This, despite the presence of programs meant to aid them, such as transportation to essential appointments and access to nutritious meals, which are frequently unavailable or underfunded.

Budget Allocations: Migrants vs Veterans

One glaring issue is the stark disparity in New York City's budget allocations. While the city’s immigrant services received a budget of $25 million, funding for veterans’ services is a mere $5.87 million. This disparity is particularly troubling given the sacrifices made by veterans, and the ongoing struggles they face in shelters and with accessing proper care. Furthermore, recent cuts to the veterans' services budget—specifically a $1.2 million reduction in non-salary support—make it even more difficult for these services to provide adequate care.

The fiscal year 2026 budget data underscores this imbalance. Immigrant services have been prioritized with significant funding for legal aid, social services, and municipal identification programs. In contrast, veterans’ services are mostly limited to administrative costs, with meager funding for outreach and peer support initiatives. This imbalance raises serious concerns about the city's priorities and the need for a more equitable distribution of resources.

Sign the Petition

It is time for change. Veterans—our friends, family members, and neighbors—deserve the respect, dignity, and services they have earned through their service. New York City must correct this disparity in its budget allocations and ensure that veterans are treated with the care and attention they need to rebuild their lives. The time for complacency has passed. It’s time for action to ensure that veterans no longer slip through the cracks of a broken system.

20250131_petition (printable pdf)

The Struggle of NYC Homeless Veterans: Navigating a Broken System

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 15:31:48 GMT

Department of Homeless Services Raking in Millions, Delivering Little to Veterans

In New York City, a battle rages beneath the surface of public awareness. While millions of dollars flow into the city’s homeless services, many of the veterans struggling in the system are left in a perpetual state of limbo, lost in the bureaucratic maze and unfulfilled promises. For these veterans, the fight for stability and respect often seems more challenging than any military campaign they’ve faced.

Veterans Affairs (VA) and the New York City Department of Veterans Services (DVS) are supposed to be pillars of support for those who have served their country, yet many veterans find themselves abandoned in shelters that do little to help them recover or transition back to civilian life. The largest source of contention? The Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program, a federal initiative aimed at providing transitional housing and services for homeless veterans. In theory, this program should give veterans access to housing, mental health services, and a path toward self-sufficiency. In practice, it often does anything but.

Borden Avenue Veterans’ Residence

At the heart of the problem is the Borden Avenue Veterans’ Residence (BAVR), a facility in Long Island City meant to house veterans under the GPD program. While BAVR was designed to offer veterans a safe, drug-free environment with access to housing resources and community engagement, reports from those who have stayed there paint a starkly different picture. Instead of a welcoming, supportive environment, veterans describe BAVR as a violent, overcrowded shelter, with limited access to essential services. Complaints about inadequate food, insufficient security, and lack of staff support are rampant, yet the facility remains the primary point of access for many veterans in need of housing assistance in the city.

In August 2024, for example, it was reported that of the 224 individuals residing at BAVR, only 107 were enrolled in the GPD program, leaving many veterans at the mercy of an underfunded and overwhelmed system. With the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) under investigation for corruption, the GPD program’s funding is questioned. The situation is made worse by the fact that many veterans are either not receiving the services they’re entitled to, or they are being removed from the program entirely and sent to some of the worst shelters in the city.

Lack of Communication Amongst City Agencies

In the face of all this, veterans like Pena are turning to grassroots advocacy to try and make a difference. Through his writing and public speaking, he has pushed for better housing options, more comprehensive mental health services, and a renewed commitment from both the city and the federal government to meet the needs of homeless veterans. He’s also advocating for better oversight of BAVR and other facilities housing veterans, calling attention to the poor conditions and lack of accountability within the system.

One of the key issues, Pena points out, is the lack of coordination between the various agencies involved in veteran services. DVS, DHS, and the VA should be working together to streamline processes and provide veterans with the support they need, yet the departments often operate in silos, with little communication or cooperation. This lack of collaboration leads to confusion and frustration for veterans, who are often bounced between agencies without ever finding a resolution to their problems.

While there are some individuals within DVS and DHS who are genuinely trying to make a difference, it’s clear that the system as a whole is failing veterans. The city is spending millions of dollars on homeless services, yet the outcomes for veterans are consistently poor. Until the city and federal government take real, substantive action to reform the system, veterans will continue to fall through the cracks, left to fight an invisible war with no clear end in sight.

The situation at BAVR and other shelters should be a wake-up call to the city’s leadership. Homeless veterans in New York City deserve more than just a bed to sleep in—they deserve the support, resources, and respect they earned through their service. It’s time for the city to stop treating veterans as second-class citizens and start providing the comprehensive care and services they need to rebuild their lives. Until that happens, the stories of veterans like Timothy Pena will continue to be the story of New York City’s shameful neglect of those who served our country.

In the meantime, advocates like Pena will keep fighting for change. The battle may be long, but for veterans in New York City, the fight for dignity and stability is one worth fighting every day.

20250128_gpd (Printable pdf)

New York City Mayor to Veterans: Let Them Eat Cake

183:876704590 (Timothy Pena) — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 15:17:56 GMT

Mayor Adams Tells Veterans No Funding. Puts Financial Burden on Veterans Affairs While Migrants in Hotels

New York City is home to over 200,000 veterans—men and women who have served our country in war and peace. Yet, despite their sacrifices, these individuals face an uphill battle in accessing the services they need to thrive. From healthcare and housing to mental health support and job training, funding for veteran services has been grossly inadequate.

Meanwhile, in a city that prides itself on inclusivity, the government’s priorities seem to have shifted. While migrants are receiving increased support, New York City’s veterans are ignored, with Mayor Eric Adams refusing to increase funding for their care.

A Stark Contrast: Migrants vs. Veterans

The current situation in New York City reveals a glaring discrepancy in how different groups are treated. Mayor Adams has made it clear that migrants, particularly those seeking asylum, are being given top priority. Resources are allocated quickly to support their resettlement, with new shelters, food, and medical services being rapidly established to accommodate the influx. Yet, when it comes to the city’s own veterans, the response is different.

Councilman Robert Holden recently addressed Mayor Adams, calling for increased funding for veteran services, only to be met with a dismissive response. Mayor Adams refused to take action, instead placing the blame on the Veterans Affairs (VA) system, suggesting that the federal agency should be the one to provide resources. This refusal to address the issue at the city level reveals a troubling lack of empathy and a complete disregard for the struggles of veterans. To make matters worse, many veterans in New York City aren’t eligible for Veterans Affairs benefits and programs, leaving them without any services.

A Call to Action: Demand Better for Our Veterans

The current system is broken, and it is clear that veterans in New York City are being left behind. Mayor Adams must stop passing the buck and take responsibility for ensuring that veterans have the support they need. It is unacceptable that while resources are quickly allocated for migrants, veterans continue to be blocked from essential services.

The public must demand that our leaders prioritize veterans' well-being, ensuring that they have access to housing, healthcare, job training, and community engagement opportunities. Veterans have already given so much for this country—it’s time the city of New York gave back by providing the care and resources they deserve.

Conclusion

As the city of New York provides resources to migrants, it is critical that we don’t forget the veterans who helped shape this country. Mayor Adams’ refusal to increase funding for veterans’ services is an injustice that cannot continue. The Department of Homeless Services' barriers to community engagement only exacerbate the problem. It’s time for the Mayor and the city to step up and take responsibility. Veterans should no longer be treated as an afterthought. They deserve the care and respect that every citizen is entitled to—and it’s time for the city to deliver.

A Tale of Two Transitions: Advocating for Veterans in NYC Shelters

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 12:25:35 GMT

Department of Homeless Services Failing Veterans

Navy veteran Timothy Pena's journey from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York City illustrates the severe challenges faced by veterans in the city's shelter system. His experiences highlight critical gaps in veteran support programs, including the federally funded Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem (GPD) transitional housing program.

Transitioning to NYC: A Search for Stability

In July 2022, Timothy Pena relocated to New York City, seeking a fresh start and mental health support. As a veteran with service-connected PTSD and prior experience in veteran transitional programs, he believed the GPD program in NYC would provide a safe and supportive environment. Unfortunately, his expectations were shattered upon entering the Borden Avenue Veterans’ Residence, a facility plagued by violence, drug use, and inadequate services.

Despite being a federally funded program designed to aid veterans in their transition to stable housing, the Borden Avenue shelter fell short of its mandate. Veterans reported inedible food, negligent security, and a lack of community engagement. Many experienced threats, and the presence of Level 2 and 3 sex offenders further exacerbated safety concerns.

Widespread Mismanagement in NYC Shelters

The issues at Borden Avenue are part of a broader problem within NYC’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS). A January 2024 investigation by the NYC Department of Investigation (DOI) revealed alarming financial mismanagement and misconduct across the shelter system. Findings included:

• Conflicts of Interest: Shelter insiders profiting from nontransparent business dealings.

• Excessive Executive Compensation: Executives earning over $500,000 annually from public funds.

• Nepotism: Hiring family members in violation of contracts.

• Lack of Competitive Bidding: Procurement processes that bypassed city rules.

These systemic failures, combined with inadequate oversight of the GPD program, have left veterans vulnerable and underserved.

A Tale of Two Transitions: Advocating for Veterans in NYC Shelters (printable pdf)

MTA and Fair Fares STILL Not Playing Fair

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 14:03:45 GMT

NYC yet to put Fair Fares program into effect, while cracking down on Fare Jumpers

Low-Income NYers Being Denied Fair Fares

MTA Lying to Straphangers

MTA Still Not Playing Fair (Printable pdf)

Is This the Future Our Veterans Deserve?

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 14:48:58 GMT

Guest Contributor

Cherie M. Smith

As veterans, we upheld our oath to serve and protect this country.

As a disabled Navy veteran, I have to ask: Is this what my fellow veterans and I have to look forward to? A system designed to abandon us in our most vulnerable moments? The richest men in the world—most of whom have never served a single day in the armed forces—sit in boardrooms and government offices deciding what benefits we are "worthy" of. Meanwhile, the programs meant to protect and support us crumble under neglect, mismanagement, and indifference.

Let’s talk about reality:

• The Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program, authorized under Public Law 109-461, was designed to provide transitional housing and supportive services to veterans experiencing homelessness. Yet, reports reveal that 1 in 5 veterans are unlawfully documented as "successful discharges," while many disappear from these programs entirely—left to fend for themselves in the streets.

• At the Borden Avenue Veterans’ Residence in NYC, veterans are forced to endure conditions that can only be described as a nightmare: rampant drug activity, violent assaults, inedible food, and no accountability from those in charge. Security sleeps in the halls while veterans die of overdoses.

• Veterans like Timothy Pena, who raised concerns about these inhumane conditions, are silenced and removed from advocacy groups instead of being heard and supported.

How did we get here?

This isn’t just a broken system—it’s an insult to every veteran who has ever put their life on the line for this country. The richest men in the world and disconnected policymakers dictate what benefits we “deserve,” all while profiting from the freedoms we fought to secure. As former President Theodore Roosevelt said, "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards."

Yet, where is that deal? Where is the respect, the dignity, the honor promised to us when we signed up to serve?

What needs to change?

1 Accountability: Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs must investigate violations of Public Law 109-461 and ensure that programs like GPD deliver on their promises.

2 Oversight: Leadership failures, like those of NYC VA Director Karen Fuller, must not go unchecked. Veterans' lives depend on leadership that acts with integrity and urgency.

3 A National Priority: Veterans are not charity cases—they are national treasures. It’s time to prioritize their well-being with the same urgency used to approve defense budgets.

We’ve had enough.

As veterans, we upheld our oath to serve and protect this country. But now we’re left asking: Why fight for a country that turns its back on us the moment we need help? Why should we continue to sacrifice when we’re treated as afterthoughts? As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

This injustice toward veterans threatens the very fabric of what this nation claims to stand for.

To the policymakers, the wealthy decision-makers, and those in power: Remember this—freedom isn’t free, but neither is our silence. We served this country with honor, and we will not stop fighting for the respect and care we deserve.

It’s time to honor your promises. It’s time to fight for those who fought for you. Veterans are watching, and we demand better.

A Tale of Two Transitions: The Forgotten Veterans of Borden Ave

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 23:53:11 GMT

According to Reports, Veterans in NYC are Disappearing from Veterans Affairs Transitional Program.

Despite professing to support veterans in NYC, Mayor Adams, the City Council and NYC Dept. of Homeless Services have abandoned veterans in violent shelters, to sleep on the streets and subways, and morgues.

Veterans Deserve Better

Veterans Affairs Grant & Per Diem Transitional Program

The GPD Program is Veterans Affair’s largest transitional housing program for Veterans experiencing homelessness and is permanently authorized under Public Law 109-461.

Since 1994, the GPD Program has awarded grants to community-based organizations to provide transitional housing with wraparound supportive services to assist vulnerable Veterans move into permanent housing. According to Veterans Affairs, the GPD Program, “is offered annually (as funding permits) by the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund community agencies providing services to Veterans experiencing homelessness.

Veterans Affairs funds an estimated 600 agencies that provide over 14,500 beds for eligible Veterans. Grantees work closely with an assigned liaison from the local VAMC. The VA GPD liaison monitors the services the grantees offer to Veterans and provides direct assistance to them. Grantees also collaborate with community-based organizations to connect Veterans with employment, housing and additional social services to promote housing stability. The maximum stay in this housing is up to 24 months, with the goal of moving Veterans into permanent housing.

Veterans Affairs Dept. of Homeless Services Complicit in Deaths

A report released by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General backs up claims of misconduct reporting that 1 in 5 veterans are ‘disappearing’ from VA transitional programs, then unlawfully documented as a successful discharge. The following is a series of photos, FOIA responses, and information that compare what the GPD program as sanctioned and funded by the VA and Congress and that of what Pena experienced in NYC at the GPD program together with articles from local journalists about Borden Ave.

A Tale of Two Transitions: MANA House / Phoenix and Borden Avenue / NYC (Printable pdf 110 pgs.)

A Tale of Two Transitions

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 12:49:21 GMT

Power Point Presentation Highlights Abuses to VA Veterans in NYC Department of Homeless Shelters

A Tale of Two Transitions (printable pdf - 36 pages)

A Tale of Two Transitions_20241120 (printable pdf)

Corruption in NYC Department of Homeless Services Affecting Veterans

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 16:52:27 GMT

NYC Department of Investigation (DOI) Report Unveils Mismanagement

In October 2024, the NYC Department of Investigation (DOI) revealed troubling issues in the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and its management of the shelter system, costing the city an estimated $10.6 billion over three years.

Veterans in Federal Veterans Affairs Transitional Program Abandoned in Violent NYC DHS Shelters

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 18:04:49 GMT

Homeless Veterans in NYC Need an Advocate to have their back. That’s supposed to be NYC Dept of Veterans Services

A Tale of Two Transitional Programs

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 17:39:33 GMT

Nutritional meals are a vital part of the transitional program.

The Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem Transitional Program is Veterans Affair’s largest transitional housing program for Veterans experiencing homelessness and is permanently authorized under Public Law 109-461 .

Title 38 Chapter I § 61.2 Supportive Services—General

Transitional programs which receive grants must design supportive services. Such services must provide appropriate assistance, or aid participants in obtaining appropriate assistance, to address the needs of homeless veterans.

The following are examples of supportive services:

-- Providing food, nutritional advice, counseling, health care, mental health treatment, alcohol and other substance abuse services, case management services

A Tale of Two Transitions: Comparing the Grant & Per Diem Programs in Arizona and New York City

Fair Fares STILL Not Playing Fair

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 20:10:31 GMT

NYC yet to put Fair Fares program into effect, while cracking down on Fare Jumpers

With much fanfare, in March Fair Fares encouraged New Yorkers to sign up for a “Fair Fares Day of Action: Thursday, March 28, 2024” when Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) held events in all five boroughs which encouraged New Yorkers to learn more about Fair Fares, check eligibility, and sign up.

Fair Fares Not Playing Fair (printable pdf)

A Tale of Two Transitional Programs

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 14:59:42 GMT

Veterans Affairs Transitional Program categorized as a 'Prison with a Day Pass'

Since 1994, the Veterans Affairs Grant & Per Diem (GPD) Transitional Program has awarded grants to community-based organizations to provide transitional housing with wraparound supportive services to assist vulnerable veterans move into permanent housing. Grant recipients are required to provide supportive services including housing resources, mental health services, transportation to VA appointments, employment, and a safe and drug-free environment. In addition to providing supportive services to the veterans in the program, but also provide outreach services to veterans in shelters and on the streets.

As Veteran's Day approaches, it is important to remember the veterans who are most vulnerable and in most need of supportive services. While my life was saved in the GPD program in Phoenix, in NYC I encountered a depressing, drug-infested, and violent shelter where veterans are being assaulted, overdosing, being threatened by staff and gang members, even dying. When a veteran dies of suspicious circumstances, there is no investigation for that VA-eligible veteran in a Congressional VA program. If that were to happen at a VA hospital or CLC, an investigation would be launched, and that veteran would be honored for their service.

A Tale of Two Transitional Programs (printable pdf)

Thousands of Disabled Veterans Denied MTA Reduced Fares

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 15:03:31 GMT

Veterans Affairs Disabilities Don’t Qualify for MTA and Other NYC Programs for Disabled Veterans

The National Institute of Mental Health defines serious mental illness as “a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.” SMI is a term used to describe people with severe and persistent mental health problems that cause difficulties with personal and social functioning. Schizophrenia is one SMI that has been linked to neurocognitive deficits.

PTSD can cause cognitive impairment, especially in veterans, and the severity of PTSD is linked to the severity of cognitive impairment. PTSD can impact cognitive processes like attention, memory, planning, and problem solving. There is also concern that PTSD can increase the risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

According to Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Director of Reduced Fare:

“Since you are not receiving SSI benefits due to a mental illness, you do not meet the eligibility criteria for serious mental illness as defined in our guidelines. As per the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Reduced-Fare Program guidelines, it states that you must “receive Supplement Security Income benefits from the United States Social Security Administration due to a mental illness.” Daniel Griffith

Director, Reduced Fare

Thousands of Disabled Veterans Denied MTA Reduced Fares and Other NYC Transportation (Printable pdf)

Be the Story: NYC Department of Veterans Services in Crosshairs

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 21:10:46 GMT

Veterans Affairs must address violence, drug overdoses, and lack of resources for Congressional transitional program for Veterans experiencing homelessness

During a NYC Veterans Advisory Board meeting held April 17, 2024 (59:30-1:01:30), NYC Department of Veterans' Services Housing Director Lamar Wheeler told Board members, including NYC Council Member Robert Holden that the violent, drug-infested Borden Ave Veterans Residence (BAVR) is the " Cadillac of Shelters ” and “ Once you’re in shelter, you’re mine .”

Borden Ave Veterans Program Placing Veterans at Risk

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 16:33:50 GMT

Congressional Veterans Affairs transitional program being abused by NYC Dept. of Homeless Services. Hundreds of thousands of federal dollars unaccounted for while VA-eligible veterans sleep in violent shelters.

The Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem Transitional Program is VA’s largest transitional housing program for Veterans experiencing homelessness and is permanently authorized under Public Law 109-461. Since 1994, the GPD Program has awarded grants to community-based organizations to provide transitional housing with wraparound supportive services to assist vulnerable Veterans move into permanent housing. According to Veterans Affairs, the GPD Program, “is offered annually (as funding permits) by the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund community agencies providing services to Veterans experiencing homelessness. The only GPD program in NYC is at Borden Ave Veterans' Residency which receives approximately $4 million / year to provide GPD services to 154 VA-eligible-veterans (approx. $70/day). Instead, staff have refused to provide a safe, drug-free environment according to the Veterans Rights and Responsibilities and instead cater to violent sex offenders while "red flagging" VA-eligible veterans and transferring them to some of the most violent shelters in NYC.

The NYC Dept of Homeless Services has made it a common practice to kick out veterans who demand the resources they have earned and are entitled to, myself included when I was a resident at Borden Ave. Manhattan VAMC Homeless Services Director Karen Fuller who has oversight of the GPD program has refused to take responsibility, refused to acknowledge dozens of complaints, and engaged in behavior inconsistent with Veterans Affairs. She and NYC Dept of Veterans Services Housing Director Lamar Wheeler have told veterans that for unsubstantiated reasons, VA-eligible veterans have been transferred to other shelters while telling them there is no room at Borden Ave for them to return.

That is simply not true as shown by the attachments. What is also problematic, is that while NYC DHS is receiving this funding, VA-eligible veterans are sleeping in other shelters, on the subways, and in the streets while violent, drug and sex offenders sleep in their beds and steal their resources resulting in approximately $1 million unaccounted for. For more information on the GPD program, please visit: https://www.theforgottenveteran.org/gpd

New Paragraph

Despite an In-House Culinary School, Borden Ave. Veterans Still Fed Cold Rice and Green Beans

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 13:20:41 GMT

Security for the VA transitional program nearly twice cost of food for homeless veterans at $6.60 a day

La Lettre de l’Audiovisuel Interview: Timothy Pena, veteran and journalist

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:53:22 GMT

"Writing saved my life"

INTERVIEW SEEN FROM THE US. Timothy Pena is an American veteran who has been in prison and homeless. He helps his peers to reintegrate and access social assistance. He also became a journalist, to help make America and the media understand the plight of veterans.

Can you introduce yourself ?

My name is Timothy Pena. I have an organization called the Veterans Justice Project, which is a non-profit organization. I began helping homeless and incarcerated veterans receive veterans benefits. I also participated in programs to help veteran journalists find work. I write myself.

What is your background ?

I come from a military family in Arizona. My grandfather served in World War II with the Navy Seabees, a special forces amphibious group. My father was in Vietnam. I had several uncles who were in the military. And I have a sister who just retired from the Air Force after 22 years. So it was sort of understood that I was going to join the army and follow in the footsteps of my family members. I enlisted in 1977. I entered active duty in 1978.

And how did you get into journalism?

In 1980, I was in the Persian Gulf, we were part of the Iranian hostage siege. We were there for the rescue attempt, which failed. But just before, a Marine, who had received a letter with bad news from home, committed suicide in front of us. It’s something that still haunts me today, 40 years later. I left the army in 1981 and things were not easy for me. In 2014, I was arrested for driving under the influence and possession of marijuana and ended up serving two years in prison. Talking to Marines, I realized that a lot of them were addicted too, because going back to real life and finding a job is very difficult. That same year, I suffered severe depression and seriously considered suicide. I got help through veterans. But I fell, and eventually found myself homeless. Then I did a transition program for veterans in Phoenix. When I was released in 2019, I started my organization, Veteran Justice Project and started helping these veterans process their claims forms, process their residency applications, their employment applications, everything they needed to transition from prison to the civilian world.

How did you become interested in journalism and become part of an NGO specializing in journalism?

In 2021, I was in contact with a person here in New York who was a journalist in Vietnam, I believe. And he invited me to work on a documentary currently being filmed for suicide prevention among veterans. So I came here in July 2022. I had nowhere to go. While I was in a shelter, I began writing a series of articles called “Be the Story”: instead of writing about homeless veterans, I was actually the subject of the article. Subsequently, I was invited to join military veterans. Then I was invited to participate in Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ, read box).

What were you doing at this veteran journalists convention in October 2022?

The conference was incredible. It lasted three days. There were easily two to three hundred people who participated in the various workshops, various panels, discussions. It was about all aspects of being a journalist and how we could integrate as veterans.

How can your veteran experience help you as a journalist?

We veterans particularly understand the mental health issues faced after service. Our job is to explain what we experience in a way that the public can understand. Companies such as IBM or Google want to integrate veterans into their organizations: there is a real love for veterans in this country.

Do you think writing your story will save you?

That's a good question, because I hadn't thought about it, but yes, writing saved my life. Writing my story and those of other veterans is incredibly therapeutic.

Do you think you could be published one day?

I have solid experience in writing. I have worked for magazines in the past and am therefore familiar with the subject. I also wrote a white paper in 2016 on the association between homeless veterans, mental health and prison and the state. I am currently working freelance. You can read my stories on this website, https://www.vetjuspro.com/bestory . I am writing a resource guide for veterans entering the New York City system. The good thing is that I work with the Department of Veterans Services and other veterans organizations that gather different types of information. Finally, I gained solid experience.

Comments collected by Sandra Muller in New York

MVJ: another look at veterans

Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ) was founded in 2019 by Corps veteran of the United States Marines, Russell Midori, and veteran of the United States Navy, Zack Baddorf. To ensure veterans are covered appropriately and ethically, Military Veterans in Journalism, in collaboration with News Corp Giving, the nonprofit organization, provides a range of resources to journalists covering military and veterans issues through an online resource portal. MVJ provides standards, guidance and guidance to journalists navigating on sensitive subjects using this portal. The organization offers a directory of experts on topics such as post-traumatic stress and veteran suicide. MVJ also created a style guide with explanations of technical terms to help journalists avoid stereotypes. S.M.

La Lettre de l’Audiovisuel Interview: Timothy Pena, Veteran and Journalist (pdf)

A Night on the Town

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 09:14:24 GMT

Point in Time Count of Homeless New Yorkers

Tonight, I had the rare opportunity to participate in the yearly Point in Time (PIT) count of homeless New Yorkers. Although I’m not certain of the official count, in the 20-block area our team covered, I counted about 20 homeless including three or four women although most were tucked inside their cardboard boxes for the night. Of the five or so who were awake spoke about the dangers of living on the street. The few that we were able to offer shelter to politely refused.

After spending five months in a violent shelter, I can attest to the danger of being in a shelter where at any moment I could have been assaulted because of the lax vetting process for veteran’s acceptance in the VA’s transitional program which possesses no structure. Picture a prison where someone who lost their house in a fire is forced to eat, sleep, and shower with violent sex offenders.

A Night on the Town

Point in Time Count of Homeless New Yorkers (printable pdf)

Veteran homelessness increased by 7.4% in 2023

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 01:20:22 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

"The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the results of the 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, the annual effort to estimate the number of Americans, including Veterans, without permanent housing.

The data showed that on a single night in January 2023, there were 35,574 Veterans who experienced homelessness in the U.S. This reflects a 7.4% increase in the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness from 2022.

Despite these increases, there is still an overall downward trend in Veteran homelessness. The estimated number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has declined by 52.0% since 2010. Within the last three years alone, there has been approximately a 4% overall reduction in Veteran homelessness."

What I've seen in NYC is a disconnect of access to resources that should be available to veterans experiencing homelessness and the providers delegated to provide those resources.

VA Transitional Program Operating From Violent Shelter

Sat, 16 Dec 2023 16:07:26 GMT

NYC DHS and ICL in Violation of $3.9 Million VA Transitional Program for Honorably Discharged Veterans as The City Council Ignores Violent Sex Offenders

NYC Councilmembers Robert Holden and Vicki Paladino at the VetsGiving event in November. CM Holden took credit for eliminating Borden Ave cubicles in lieu of open bunks which is housing violent sex offenders at high risk of reoffending in Congressionally sanctioned transitional program.

Veterans Affairs Grant & Per Diem Transitional Program Grantee Guidelines:

§ 61.2 Supportive Services—General

Recipients (Grantees) must design supportive services. Such services must provide appropriate assistance, or aid participants in obtaining appropriate assistance, to address the needs of homeless veterans. The following are examples of supportive services:

· Outreach activities;

· Providing food, nutritional advice, counseling, health care, mental health treatment, alcohol and other substance abuse services, case management services;

· Establishing and operating child care services for dependents of homeless veterans;

· Providing supervision and security arrangements necessary for the protection of residents of supportive housing and for homeless veterans using supportive housing or services;

· Assistance in obtaining permanent housing;

· Education, employment counseling and assistance, and job training;

· Assistance in obtaining other Federal, State and local assistance available for such residents including mental health benefits, employment counseling and assistance, veterans' benefits, medical assistance, and income support assistance; and

· Providing housing assistance, legal assistance, advocacy, transportation, and other services essential for achieving and maintaining independent living.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 2011, 2012, 2061)

VA Grant & Per Diem Program Saves Lives

Sat, 25 Nov 2023 19:09:55 GMT

Veterans Affairs Program Focuses On Housing, Sobriety, and Mental Health.

After being threatened, a veteran sleeps on the sidewalk across from Borden Ave Veterans' Residency.

Resources VA Program Borden Ave Homeless Shelter

Transportation Yes None provided. No subway passes.

Housing Resources Yes Responsibility of veteran.

Nutritional Diet Yes Food brought in. Served cold.

Enrolled in VA Yes Not required to be eligible.

Clean/Sober Yes Daily overdoses/deaths.

Clothing locker Yes With voucher from case worker.

Washing Machines Yes Laundry returned in a wad in plastic bag.

Outreach to Shelters Yes It already is a shelter.

Supportive Staff Yes “Suck it up and be a man”

Mental Health Yes Knock on door. “Are you ok?”

Employment Yes Reliance on third party programs

Safe Environment Yes Daily assaults

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 17:33:10 GMT

NYC Council Members Unaware of Veterans Transitional Abuses

Prior to April 2023, veterans not enrolled in VA Transitional Program were assigned to open bunks and responsible for daily drug overdoses, criminal damage, and assaults.

Top NYC Officials Deny Transitional Supportive Services to Homeless Veterans in VA-Funded Programs

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 14:17:14 GMT

Manhattan VA and NYC Department of Veterans Services won't refer to Congressional program as 'Transitional'

Another veteran is rolled out on a gurney after dying from an overdose. Residents tell me that Borden Ave Veterans' Residency no longer calls NYPD when a veteran overdoses and dies in their custody.

Veterans Affairs GPD Transitional Program

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 12:21:30 GMT

What is the VA Grant and Per Diem Program for Transitioning Veterans?

Administration Removes Barriers to Cancelation of VA Medical Debt

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 15:29:42 GMT

Veterans’ Administration (VA) will simplify the process for claiming medical debt forgiveness for veterans.

WASHINGTON – In tonight’s State of the Union Address, President Biden may speak on today’s announcement that the Veterans’ Administration (VA) will simplify the process for claiming medical debt forgiveness for veterans. Advocates at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) issued the following statements:

“Administrative mazes and endless paperwork stop low-income veterans from obtaining the medical debt relief they are entitled to, and the Administration is taking important steps to reduce these barriers for veterans who owe federally-held medical debts

These administrative roadblocks are especially burdensome to low-income veterans, many of whom are trying to manage medical conditions that are consequences of their military service. Without the ability to discharge the debts, they become subject to the federal government’s extraordinary collection powers, “said Kyra Taylor, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.

“America’s heroes should not have to weather wage garnishment, tax offset, and administrative offset for overdue fees charged for critical medical and mental health care at VA facilities.”

“Non-white veterans are likely to use the VA for healthcare needs, and making it easier for them to get medical debt relief will especially help protect the financial well-being of veterans of color,” said Berneta Haynes, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.

“Veterans and military families should not need to worry that seeking medical care or receiving an overpayment of benefits could endanger their ability to pay the rent, feed their families, or obtain an auto loan.”

Your timing is propitious. On Veterans Day, 11/11/23 we will be formally unveiling a charity called End Veteran Debt (EVD) and announcing our intention to do for veteran debt that was done by my first charity, RIP Medical Debt (which to date has abolished $10B in medical debt for seven million Americans) has done in that world. Apply at that link for an early peek.

Weeks? I don’t do weeks. I am fairly open for a Zoom (or phone) call this coming Monday (other than 12-1) and all of Tuesday. Pick a 30-minute stretch of time a day of your choice and I will calendar it in.

Speaking of Monday, if any on your team can shoehorn in the 12-1 EDT time, I invite you to attend the weekly Veteran Mission Possible (VMP) community call and meet the vets and allies who are working on real-world solutions to veteran issues. Here’s the backstory .

Looking forward to opening the conversation.

Jerry Ashton

Veterans Affairs: Evidence-based Treatments for PTSD

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 17:50:36 GMT

Evidence-based therapies are among the most effective treatments for PTSD.

Veteran With Medical Discharge Still Unhoused

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 16:39:50 GMT

Veterans Affairs Homeless Services Disputes Purple Heart-Implies Stolen Valor

The Forgotten Veteran

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 17:16:38 GMT

The Forgotten Veteran has been cast aside by the country and therefore ‘forgotten’ in prisons, shelters, and on the streets of America.

What is The Forgotten Veteran?

The Forgotten Veteran is justice-involved, most likely experienced trauma while serving, has unresolved drug/alcohol abuse issues, and subjected to a political atmosphere based on misguided loyalties by political trolls intent on disparaging our service not only while active duty, but then again as veterans.

Housing in New York City

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 18:44:27 GMT

No One is Helping the Veteran Obtain Housing, Especially the Veterans Affairs

Suffering Mental Health While Homeless

Timothy Pena

September 11, 2023

In 1980, while serving with the Navy Seabees and attached to an amphibious assault ship USS San Bernadino (LST-1189) in the Persian Gulf during the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Marine Pfc. Bradley Johnson received a bad letter from home, obtained an M-16 from the armory sentry, and committed suicide if front of us. While the suicide was bad enough, the helicopter blew Johnson’s brain matter and blood all over the deck and gear providing a stark reminder for the rest of the WESTPAC.

Following years of struggling with PTSD, mental illness, and suicide ideation, a total mental health breakdown after an arrest for DUI and marijuana possession in October 2014 was the turning point but it wasn’t until 2015 that I got into treatment at the Phoenix VA Hospital. In 2016 I filed a claim for VA Disability, and in 2017 was awarded a 70% VA Disability rating for PTSD. After years of DUI’s resulting in years of jailtime and prison, the diagnosis provided me with some answers to what I was suffering and that the struggles I encountered over the past 35 years were real. The diagnosis also provided a path to mental health success and as a result, provided me an avenue of healing and treatment still to this day at the Manhattan VA Hospital.

A part of that path for me was walking away from Phoenix and recreating myself in New York City in July 2022. It wasn’t enough to simply change locations, it was about reinventing myself. Within five days of arriving to NYC, I was placed at the Borden Ave. Veterans’ Residence in Long Island City on Queens with another 250 veterans from all branches of the military, all types of discharges, and all levels of mental illness.

As a member of the Military Veterans in Journalism, it was a series of articles I wrote called, ‘Be the Story’ about my experiences during the five months I resided at Borden Ave and the abhorrent living conditions there. Those articles and my testimony in front of the New York State Assembly on Department of Veterans Affairs precipitated being placed in my own apartment in Chelsea. In addition, I was invited to join the NYC Veterans Task Force which has provided me with an insight into how the lack of access to resources and wellness increases the likelihood of drug/alcohol abuse and other risky behaviors including veteran suicide.

For the transitioning veteran new to NYC, consider that the process for obtaining sustainable housing through the NYC HUD/VASH program is one of the longest in the country so plan your mental health accordingly. It is imperative for the veteran to realize the challenges ahead and that mental health most likely be taxed during the process. It’s also okay to acknowledge these breaks for what they are. And while it is cliché to say, ‘that this too shall pass,’ it really will pass. Move through the process deliberately and purposely while understanding that these incidents can happen and to keep your eye on the prize of sustainable housing.

Be the Story

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 15:11:53 GMT

Suffering mental health illness while homeless. While it is cliché to say, ‘that this too shall pass,’ it really will pass.

Suffering Mental Health While Homeless

Timothy Pena

September 11, 2023

Story of Monika

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 16:37:06 GMT

Through her time in service, Staff Sergeant Perry grew and developed into a quality citizen with a strong sense of duty, honor, and respect. However, despite her transformation, society has unfortunately failed to support Staff Sergeant Perry in her ongoing efforts to sustain her new way of life.

In 2003, s he and other members of her combat unit were captured by the Iraqi Army and tortured at gunpoint. Monika suffered from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

Mental Health and the Veteran

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:11:48 GMT

What is Mental Illness?

Mental illness is a term that describes a broad range of mental and emotional conditions. Mental illness also refers to one portion of the broader ADA term mental impairment and is different from other covered mental impairments such as mental retardation, organic brain damage, and learning disabilities. The term ‘psychiatric disability’ is used when mental illness significantly interferes with the performance of major life activities, such as learning, working and communicating, among others.

Study: Thousands of Veterans return with Mental Illness

Stigma and Veterans

After 15 Months, Purple Heart Recipients Still Homeless

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:43:06 GMT

Little information has been provided to Afghanistan Combat Veteran and his K9 still experiencing homelessness while being ‘transferred’ from one New York City shelter to another.

Purple Heart Recipients Still Homeless

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 16:20:21 GMT

Afghanistan Combat Veterans Still Homeless After 15 Months In NYC

Team Rubicon Disaster Response

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 12:22:58 GMT

"Take me to the brig. I want to see the real Marines." - Chesty Puller, LGEN, USMC (Ret.)

WHAT IS TEAM RUBICON?

Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Founded in 2010 with the expressed goal of quickly responding to large-scale disasters, Team Rubicon has deployed thousands of volunteers across the United States and world to provide relief to communities in need. When disaster strikes, we work hard to help the most vulnerable in need. By working with or alongside local agencies and governments, Team Rubicon seeks to be of the utmost service to those in need.

WHO SERVES IN GREY?

While the bulk of Team Rubicon's ranks are filled by military veterans, we welcome and are reinforced by first responders as well as determined individuals who have never served in uniform.

IF YOU'RE READY TO HELP THOSE IN NEED, THERE'S A GREY SHIRT WITH YOUR NAME ON IT.

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO SERVE?

Volunteering with Team Rubicon is not easy. You'll dig deep, get dirty, and work hard. You'll be challenged. Depending on your experience, you may have the opportunity to deploy on domestic and international operations. In addition to the application, each Grey Shirt is required to complete a Background Check with details and FAQ's listed below.

Background Checks

The goal of our background check policy is to ensure a safe operating environment for our members and the communities we serve.

Since 1 October 2014, a background check is required to participate in any overnight event, including but not limited to a field operation or project. Every member who enters a house to work or sleeps next to us in the gym should be someone we can trust. This is the focus of our policy.

Since 12 October 2016, Team Rubicon members may pay for their check online or elect to have Team Rubicon cover the cost upfront. Members no longer may request reimbursement from Team Rubicon. Background check portal. We're not looking for saints. Do not be discouraged by this process. We all have skeletons in the closet. In rare cases, we may redirect members whose backgrounds threaten a safe operating environment.

Our background checks are conducted by Employment Screening Resources, an independent third party and member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. You can read more about ESR including viewing their privacy policy at www.ESRcheck.com. Results are strictly confidential and are visible only to designated, full-time Team Rubicon staff and will not be shared with team members or regional leaders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I have to complete a background check to be a member of Team Rubicon?
A: No. However, a check is required to hold a leadership role or participate in events. A background check is required to participate in any overnight event, including but not limited to an operation or project.

Q: I have a security clearance and/or a recent background check through my employer or government. Do I still need to submit to the TR background check?
A: Yes. For quality control and consistency, a completed check with Team Rubicon is required even if one is completed elsewhere.

Q: What is the purpose of the background check?
A: To ensure a safe operating environment.

Q: What are the criteria for passing a background check?
A: Please refer to the attached copy of our background check policy.

Q: Do I have to pay for a background check?
A: You can pay for the check online via debit/credit card or choose to have Team Rubicon pay the cost.

Q: How much does a background check cost?
A: Costs vary by location, typically $25-$35. Additional fees may be incurred depending on the state.

Q: How long does it take for a background check to be completed?
A: Typically results are received within 15 days.

Q: How do I get reimbursed?
A: If you completed a background check prior to 12 Oct 2016, please complete a background check reimbursement request at http://bit.ly/2et1Wkf . TR HQ accounting will verify the cost of your background check and mail you a check within 60 days. If you completed a background check after 12 October 2016, there is no need to fill out a reimbursement request.

Q: What does Team Rubicon do with the results?
A: Designated Team Rubicon full-time staff review for compliance with the Background Check Policy. Results of checks are not shared with other members or regional leaders.

Q: What must I do before starting?
A: BEFORE YOU BEGIN, have all the following information available prior to going online:

Personal information
Your social security number
Driver's license number and expiration date
Credit / Debit card to pay the application fee
Your residential, work and school address history for the last 7 years including
Street names and numbers, city, state
When you lived, worked or studied at each address

Q: Do I need to do or have anything special?
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Okay, I'm ready to begin, what do I do next?

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154 Days

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 19:40:20 GMT

Timothy Pena initially traveled to NYC at the invitation of RIP Medical Debt founder and US Navy veteran Jerry Ashton to collaborate for his project, Veterans Mission Possible. Soon after arriving, Tim realized he would rather be homeless in NYC than commit suicide in Phoenix. He is documenting his journey of 'homeless to homeness' with a series of short articles he is calling, "Be the Story."

Homeless to Homeness: 154 Days

Timothy Pena

January 9, 2023

2022 has been an interesting year that started with Phoenix PD standing at my door conducting a ‘welfare check’ with hands on guns telling me to “just come out and talk.” Last Christmas was fighting the rabbit hole of suicide, so when an opportunity to come to NYC arose, I jumped at it. The last five months have been an amazing eyeopening journey from Homeless to Homeness and a lesson in veteran suicide awareness and prevention within our communities.

Among the frustrations I have experienced is the treatment of veterans who are participating in the Veterans Affairs Grant & Per Diem (GPD) program for transitioning veterans. There is a misconception that ‘transitioning’ only applies to active-duty military entering the civilian world which has proffered insight into the struggles that veterans face when transitioning. But veterans are always in transition. Into the military as young men and women. From one duty station to another. Back into civilian world and then for the veterans who continue to struggle, in and out of the homeless and judicial systems.

Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program

The VA's Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program is offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund community agencies providing services to veterans experiencing homelessness.

“The purpose of the transitional housing component of the program is to promote the development and provision of supportive housing and services with the goal of helping homeless Veterans achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and/or income, and obtain greater self-determination.”

Additionally, the GPD Program offers Case Management grants to support housing retention for Veterans who were previously homeless and are transitioning to permanent housing.

My personal struggles with suicide have mostly centered around loss of hope and not any specific incident or issue. As is the case with moving to NYC, the hope of starting over outweighed all other barriers including being sent to a violent and abusive NYC shelter with 250+ other veterans of various military backgrounds and levels of eligibility. While the idea of mixing non-VA veterans with those in the GPD program would seem to provide an environment of support amongst all the veterans, transitioning GPD veterans are suffering the consequences of veterans who are severely mentally ill and those with criminal and violent tendencies. The result is a dangerous mixture of individuals forced to transition in a desolate facility with lack of access to a nutritional diet, a decent night’s sleep, and resources imperative to a successful transit ion.

Be the Story: 154 days

Just Give Me the Damn Fish

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:02:29 GMT

Just Give Me the Damn Fish

Timothy Pena

January 12, 2023

I just returned from Tucson after making arrangements for my uncle (big brother) who passed away last month. He was 68. I’m 62. I cannot imagine how difficult this would have been were I still in a homeless shelter such as Borden Ave. Despite having an apartment available for move in since the beginning of August, I was permitted to move in until a few days before Christmas after notices were posted by Institute for Community Living (ICL) management basically fingering me as the troublemaker for crackdowns in noise and drug usage although the facility is still resistant to providing security, decent food, and access to resources.

I am certain if I were still in Borden Ave when my uncle passed, I would not be in New York, but back in the same suicidal mindset I was that brought me to NYC to begin with. And there lies in the problem, solution, and urgency of getting vulnerable and at-risk veterans in housing. For the five months I spent in Borden Ave, I was constantly told that I was waiting on a ‘process’ that included months of stonewalling by ICL staff in being enrolled in the HUD/VASH program while I was subjected to living conditions in a violent shelter not fit for a prison, much less a taxpayer-funded Grant & Per Diem VA program fraught with red tape and delays costing thousands of dollars and forever increasing the likelihood of suicide ideation and risky behavior like drug abuse and criminal behavior.

Weeks of waiting for an appointment to meet people I will never see or hear from again. The humiliation of being ‘presented’ to HUD/VASH as some sort of farm animal. And being subjected to the whims of a case manager who couldn’t manage to get me a dental appointment while homeless, instead, then lied to me and left me without so much as a simple dental checkup when after 60 days, we’re entitled to free dental. These are the small things that taxpayers provide but make a huge difference on our wellbeing. While veterans’ populations continue to decline, suicide rates continue to escalate. Why? There is certainly enough money. We’re reminded of that constantly. Every politician makes veterans a priority for fundraising.

As a former front desk clerk and resident of a veterans transitional program, I don’t need to be taught how to fish when it comes to housing. None of us should. I already have my hook and bait in the form of a DD-214. I’m already hungry because I’m homeless. So why is it necessary to teach me how to fish? Rather than describe to me how you baited the hook. Dropped it in the water. Took time to discuss with me every little nibble. While I am subjected to an abusive shelter system. Eventually, I will die either from hunger or suicide. For those that endure, we are forever changed, and none for the good. There is no teaching moment that makes us stronger. There is no acts of kindness. There is no hope. Just hat in hand begging for our benefits we earned years ago with our DD-214. Just give me the damn fish.

NYC Dept. of Veteran Services Won’t Show Up

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 17:48:13 GMT

NYC Dept. of Veteran Services Won’t Show Up

Timothy Pena

December 4, 2022

In April 2016, I had just been released from spending 70 days in the psych ward of the county jail and found myself homeless. I was referred to now-Catholic Charities MANA House, a veteran’s transitional program in Phoenix and was accepted into the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program as a resident and provided a stipend of $300/mo. as the Front Desk ‘Ninja’. The GPD Program is to provide the veteran experiencing homelessness, ‘housing and services with the goal of helping homeless Veterans achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and/or income, and obtain greater self-determination.’

My tenure of 16 months at the front desk included hundreds of referrals for resources from getting a bus pass to applying for a VA Disability claim. At that time, the Veterans Affairs GPD Program paid about $43/day/veteran to house, feed, and provide services and resources towards the goal of a successful exit from MANA where we boasted about an 89% successful exit percentage. As with Arizona and the local Dept. of Veteran Services (AZDVS) takes the lead in assuring compliance to the program by agencies that provide these critical services and resources to veterans experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, and drug/alcohol addictions which is the NYC Department of Veterans Services (NYC DVS) except veterans at Borden Ave are receiving none of that. At all.

Shortly after realizing no one had started my claim for HUD/VASH voucher, I visited the offices of NYC Department of Veterans Services (NYCDVS) and spoke with Chou, one of four housing specialists, who told me the department was overwhelmed and understaffed with about 550 veterans in the NYC area needing housing. Looking back, the time she spent describing how understaffed they were, was about the time necessary to have completed the paperwork for my voucher. That was in September; it’s now December.

At a public meeting hosted by NYC DVS in October, I spoke directly to Director of Public Policy Bianca Vitale about the conditions here and she acknowledged the complaints, remarking, “what I’m hearing from the veterans is not what I’m hearing from Borden Ave.” She was referring to the Institute for Community Living (ICL) which is contracted to provide those services and resources to get veterans out of the shelters and into stable permanent housing.

HUD/VASH Saga Continues

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 18:33:39 GMT

HUD/VASH Saga Continues

Timothy Pena

December 1, 2022

“VA's Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program is offered annually (as funding permits) by the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund community agencies providing services to Veterans experiencing homelessness. The purpose of the transitional housing component of the program is to promote the development and provision of supportive housing and services with the goal of helping homeless Veterans achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and/or income, and obtain greater self-determination. Additionally, the GPD Program offers Case Management grants to support housing retention for Veterans who were previously homeless and are transitioning to permanent housing.”

Since arriving into the VA GPD program, very little of this has taken place. As I have written before, the HUD/VASH program is designed to assist and promote supportive housing, yet I and other veterans are waiting months, even years while the VA continues to delay the process with red tape. This past Monday I received an email from a case worker;

HUD/VASH: “Congratulations. NYCHA alerted today of your eligibility for the Section 8 program. Attached is your voucher, pin letter and supplemental documents, some applicable to Citileaf.”

The coveted HUD/VASH voucher had finally arrived. The next day I dropped by Citileaf and met what will hopefully be my new clinical director, Jacky, to complete the lease and initiate any supportive services I will be receiving and to pick up the keys. Not so fast cowboy. For at least the third time, Citileaf is having to again submit documentation while everyone waits again on HUD/VASH.

Citileaf: “These documents are for NYCHA! It is the “Section 8 Property Owner Registration Form” which goes directly from HUD-VASH who sends immediately to NYCHA.”

Up to this point there have been no less than three occasions when HUD/VASH required agencies to run everthing step through them, sat on it for weeks, before sending it on to the next agency. It took three weeks to schedule a introductory meeting when I was told that it was a lengthy process that they’re responsible for. A veteran that leaves the GPD program out of frustration has no place to go but onto the street. Some are never heard from again. We are abandoned to wait in a chaotic and sometimes violent homeless shelter without access to decent food, sleep, and/or resources.

Neither the HUD/VASH program nor the Institute for Community Living seem too interested in fulfilling their obligations to the veteran or the taxpayers. And since we have no guarantee as whether HUD/VASH will provide housing; combine that with prison-like conditions at the Borden Ave Veterans Residence, and the most at-risk veterans are the most likely to leave (escape) never to be heard from again. I have no doubt that a good portion of those veterans are already dead.

HUD/VASH Saga Continues

HUD/VASH Program Adding to Veteran Suicide

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 19:29:00 GMT

HUD/VASH Program Adding to Veteran Suicide

Timothy Pena

November 29, 2022

The problem with the HUD/VASH program is the HUD/VASH program. Had I gone directly to Section 8 housing like everyone else does, I wouldn’t be homeless. I received my HUD/VASH voucher from one of a dozen case managers I’ve had last night with the message, “Congratulations, I was just alerted that you are eligible for Section 8.” With that, my application can now be forwarded to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). NYCHA will verify my information with the Department of Veteran Affairs, and will then forward that to Citileaf supportive housing for confirmation, etc. After that, it’s sign the lease and get the keys time.

The issue here is that I am exactly back where I was on July 26, when I arrived to NYC. I was always eligible for Section 8 simply because I’m disabled. So, every bit of the last four months in a chaotic homeless shelter was a colossal waste of time, money, and mental health. The process is fairly simple on paper. The veteran enters shelter and is assigned a services case manager. That case manager then assists the veteran with obtaining a driver’s license, signing up for low-income city services, and for HUD/VASH housing. New York City Department of Veteran Services (NYCDVS) takes the lead for housing and the veteran is assigned a NYCDVS case manager who meets with the veteran to conduct a needs assessment and gathers the necessary documentation.

HUD/VASH Program Making the Homeless Veterans Suffer

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 19:39:48 GMT

I have been exposed to some things no one should have to live with on a prison yard, much less at a Veteran’s Transitional Program imprisoned in a violent and chaotic environment without access to edible food, coffee, or sleep solely because we’re all veterans.

Veterans in Transition Need Access to Resources

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 03:02:22 GMT

Veterans in Transition Need Resources

Sat, 19 Nov 2022 01:13:15 GMT

Submitting Documentation, Filing Applications Require Access to Library

One of the most frustrating challenges here at Borden Ave is the lack of access to the library which is where the computers are. When I inquired as to why, I was told of an assault against the library volunteer a few years ago who then never came back. I was told also of a time that volunteers were recruited from the Borden Ave veteran pool, but were watching porn on the library computers, so it was shut down completely.

In the few months I have been at Borden Ave. I have had numerous instances when a veteran was not properly prepared for a situation that may have led to employment. In August, when the city was hiring cleaning crews for the subway, we were unable to get online with my laptop and hotspot, and the library wasn’t open. The veteran was unable to submit the online application and the time window closed.

Not only is the library important for submitting online applications, but also to sharpen skills for positions that require working with computers, interview preparation, writing and submitting resumes and lots more. Much of the information we receive from city/state/federal agencies is time sensitive and missing an expiration date can be costly. And while the facility case managers are quite adept at completing paperwork, these opportunities are best served when completed by the veteran and with the assistance of other veterans to create that learning environment where everyone wins.

For those veterans trying to get a new lease on life, access to a simple tool such as a computer should be a no-brainer; especially with working computers and internet behind a locked door just few away. This past Monday, hours for the library were posted for Tuesday-Saturday, but the library remained closed on Tuesday, and it is unknown if the library was open on Wednesday. Hours are posted for Thursday evening, so it remains unclear it the library will open. When I checked, the library was again closed and now the signs for the hours have been taken down. Access to the library is a vital tool in the success of the transitioning veteran to deny them that access is to deny them a smooth transition.

These situations are created in the veteran environment and best resolved in the veteran environment where we can speak freely, loudly, ask questions, and argue with each other because that’s what we do and how we get things done. And that is exactly why the library is so important to the veteran on a path of success. It’s classic ‘Veterans Helping Veterans 101’ and a necessity for the transitioning veteran.

Veterans in Transition Need Resources

Creating Employment Opportunities

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 00:54:42 GMT

Program Stymied by NYC Department of Homeless Services

In April 2016 I was released from the Maricopa County Jail where I had spent 70 days in the Psych Ward to find out I had also lost my apartment. Homeless with no job and no money, I showed up the door of the Community Resource and Referral Center (CRRC), the veteran’s outreach program for the Phoenix VA. After crashing on a friend’s floor a few days, i was referred to MANA House. MANA stands for: Marine, Army, Navy, and Air Force. The joke was they couldn’t include the Coast Guard because then it would be MANAC. That was of course before Space Force. Through in an ‘S’ in the mix and up all sorts of possibilities for anagrams open up.

Anyway, one of the most frustrating challenges here at Borden Ave is the lack of access to the library which is where the computers are. When I inquired as to why, I was told of an assault against the library volunteer a few years ago who then never came back. I was told also of a time that volunteers were recruited from the Borden Ave veteran pool, but were watching porn on the library computers, so it was shut down completely.

My experience with MANA House (100% GPD) in Phoenix addressed both those issues:

• Stop the porn with a block monitored by the 3rd party carrier.

• Hire a veteran and pay a weekly/monthly stipend to oversee the library.

• Install a second lock on the library door and have the veterans check it out from the front desk.

In the few months I have been here I have had numerous instances when a veteran was not properly prepared for a situation that may have led to employment. In August, when the city was hiring cleaning crews for the subway, we were unable to get online with my laptop and hotspot, and the library wasn’t open. The veteran was unable to submit the online application and the time window closed.

Be The Story: Veteran’s Day 2022

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 00:24:01 GMT

One year ago, I was living in Phoenix and feeling confident in my success of Veterans Justice Project. At the end of September, Julie Gunnigle and I had come to the rescue of a widow of a Vietnam-era veteran facing eviction, stopping it in its tracks. I had recently met up with a veteran and his wife who were opening a military store a couple of blocks from the VA. I had also been recently interviewed by a local reporter for a story about incarcerated veterans for a Veteran’s Day story. I was making progress with veterans on the prison yards, writing and distributing the Veterans Justice Project newsletter, and watching my advisory board for the non-profit come together. I had also inherited a 14-year-old adorable Beagle named Molly. But then all hell broke loose.

Be The Story: Exercising My Voting Rights

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 23:10:47 GMT

So I voted today. The first time in many years. It’s a strange feeling. I wanted to leave and come back on actual voting day just to get the sticker that says, ‘I voted today.’ I’ll have to save that for two years from now when I might have been eligible to vote in Arizona, my home state. My home state that stays silent as a Commissioner from Ohio with a brother in prison and a record of discrimination to openly use that derogatory language from the bench to one of their veteran sons.

People born and raised in Arizona shouldn’t have to subjected to abuse from those who have no consideration for our upbringing, values, or morals. They see any history and then see that as an opportunity to score easy points. There are courts which feel it is in their interest to inflict harsher penalties only because we are in our home state and their access to years of records is easier, although still incorrect. That incorrect information is then hidden from us while 40 years of infractions are thrown in our face as if they were all committed yesterday. We are told our behavior will not be tolerated. I was constantly reminded I have a history of “this exact same thing.” But, yet had to make adjustments to other cases from 2002 to bring in under the seven year threshold for repetitive. This was in 2018 when my last ‘anything’ was in 2002. Sixteen fucking years and it’s still the exact same behavior? What the fuck does that even mean?

New York City Department of Veterans Services and Veterans Advisory Meetings

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 22:32:25 GMT

A few nights ago I attended my first meeting at 1 Centre Street in Manhattan at the offices of NYC Department of Veterans Services (DVS). I would so love to do outreach for them and I strongly encourage any veterans to contact their local DVS and talk to them about registration.

I was pleased to see Mr. Kevin Meggett of Black Veterans for Social Justice in Brooklyn. He wasted no time in expressing his views of going through the city for federal veterans. He is spot on when he spoke about the need for a federally funded veterans transitional and long-term tenement exclusively for veterans. I speak from experience when I say he is correct in the analogy that we gave an oath the all the people and not just to the people of New York. This is specifically directed to the assigning a Cares number and how that equates to Hitler and tattooing numbers on them. Although in the extreme, the black community is justly concerned about a forever ‘tattoo’ assigned to them by a city or any government agency or organization.

As Mr. Meggett pointed out, veterans are nothing like civilians. We just aren’t. And as much as the public would like to think we are all like the television shows, there are a few of us who have been severely impacted by military service. Many of us struggle with PTSD, depression, anxiety, etc. Some of us have struggled with substance abuse whether it be alcohol, drugs, or both. A good number of veterans were severely sexually assaulted just because they were gay. Either by male-on-male assaults or male on gay female soldiers out of cruelty. It should be no surprise that many ended up or currently are in prison. Where else would they be expected to be? There is no normal for those people like me.

We who are/have been most at risk are barely accepted by the same brothers and sisters because they’re okay, so there’s no love there. We are not the good veterans. We are the ones who go to prison, have public breakdowns, self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, and suffer mental illness. There is no doubt there are people who doubt the veteran. There are people who don’t believe the veteran they know. The veteran who struggles with abuse, mental illness and suicide. But, there are 6,300+ friends and family who might have questioned the sincerity of that veteran in their life until that veteran committed suicide.

New York City Department of Veterans Services and Veterans Advisory Meetings

Be The Story: Military Veterans in Journalism

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 21:49:00 GMT

Convention in Washington DC brings together journalists from everywhere

At first meeting of Military Veterans in Journalism Founder Russell Midori, it is easy to understand how he is the driving force of such a prolific journalistic organization. MVJ was founded in 2019 by Russell, a Marine veteran and Navy veteran Zack Baddorf, and is a professional association that builds community for vets, supports their career growth, and advocates for diversifying newsrooms through hiring and promoting more vets. While about 7 percent of Americans have served in the armed forces, only 2 percent of media workers are military veterans, according to U.S. Census data.

I had been introduced to Russell by Jerry Ashton of Let's Rethink This over lunch with filmmaker Patrick de Warren who is filming a documentary on at-risk veterans and suicide prevention. During the ensuing weeks I spoke with Russell several times, but it wasn’t until I attended the conference held in Washington DC was it clear that I too might be included in such a prolific journalism group of veterans from all over the country and from all backgrounds with a common goal: to promote and support veterans in journalism.

Be The Story: Jericho Project

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 21:34:08 GMT

I arrived in New York on July 26, Flew back to Arizona on August 13, and back to NYC on August 20. I’ve been a temporary resident of the New York Department of Homeless Services (NYDHS) since July 28. Even though I am staying at a shelter, they are kind enough to allow me to use their address to obtain my new New York ID card, register as a New York Democrat (45 yrs as AZ GOP’er), and even get a library card. I am also newly enrolled in the Manhattan VA and starting to receive the medical and mental health treatment I’ve been denied in Arizona. That included the HUD/VASH voucher program for disabled and low-income veterans.

As a service-connected disabled veteran (70% for PTSD) whose also poz, I am eligible for several ‘vouchers’. I already have one voucher from HASA , a Social Services agency and covers housing anywhere in the five boroughs, CityFHEPS for those not covered by any other vouchers, and the HUD/VASH voucher which I should be getting in the next couple of weeks. So, it would only make sense that after spending the entire pandemic in Arizona and isolating, I would eventually catch Covid once moving to New York and beginning the search for a new home. As of September 8, I have been the temporary guest of Sweet Home Suites, a former motel in Queens that only houses other Covid-positive people in the NYDHS system. Although I am still at the isolation facility, I have already begun my earnest search for an apartment.

My first two apartments I viewed were a one-bedroom in an area that wouldn’t be conducive to the work I’ll be doing in Mid-Manhattan and Brooklyn with various veteran’s organizations including homeless and judicial agencies. The second apartment I viewed is a sweet studio in East Harlem, a part of the city that is experiencing gentrification with the return of former New Yorkers seeking older neighborhoods to adopt as their own. For those of us that lived in Chicago during the 1990’s, we saw this happen with Wicker Park. This apartment is also a little far from downtown, but the neighborhood is diverse, and I would be able to transfer to a one-bedroom after my first year. Both of these referrals have been provided by Eric Jackson of the Jericho Project , a “nonprofit ending homelessness at its roots by enabling homeless individuals and families to attain quality housing.”

The third apartment I viewed was found on ForRent.com and a stunning one-bedroom in a housing complex, Stuytown in Easter Manhattan, a stunning 110-building and 11,000 residents sprawling complex, ironically built to house returnees from WWII, but about twice my voucher of $2,218 for an all-utilities paid apartment in the five boroughs. Although it was painfully obvious that there was no possible way I am going to get $4,500/mo. apartment with my current financial situation, amazing Leasing Agent Paris Hampton treated me with the same dignity I’ve received from everyone in New York. The apartment we viewed is simply stunning and worth every bit of the rent requested.

Be The Story: Jericho Project (1 pg)

Be The Story: CitiLeaf Supportive Housing

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 21:17:54 GMT

NYC HASA Voucher Program Available for POZ Veterans

It has been about 60 days since coming to Borden Avenue Veterans Residence (BAVR) and I am a better navigator for it. The agencies that are responsible and assisting the various processes are all ultimately linked in some fashion or another. I was first processed into the NYC Dept of Homeless Services at the primary intake center in Manhattan.

I was then referred to BAVR and because I am eligible and receiving compensation, I was put into one of 200 6x9ft cubicles with locking doors and fairly soft bed. There are also about 100 open bay bunks for those who may not be eligible for VA benefits, but still provided the same shelter services as anyone but also in an atmosphere of acceptance regardless of veteran status.

It can get overwhelming with all the different approaches to the same successful outcome which is stable long-term housing. I have already secured one voucher from an agency HASA and I have been referred to another agency, Citileaf, for long-term supportive housing in an atmosphere I think will be safe for me and also close to the various agencies and organizations I most want to work with.

The other voucher is HUD/VASH or Section 8 for Veterans. It’s the same if a veteran applies for government employment, the veteran gets 10 points. For the purposes of this posting, it’s basically the same thing. For anyone not believing that veterans deserve a little extra consideration, I challenge them to stay in a veteran’s homeless shelter for a week.

From what I am being told from Citileaf is because of the supportive housing: kitchen, social worker and related staff and resources, both the HASA voucher and the HUD/VASH voucher are necessary to obtain the studio apartment on my wish list. And although I have as much effort as possible to secure this, the idea of losing a forever federally-backed HUD/VASH voucher is too important at this point. Besides, there are must worse living situations than hanging out with a bunch of other veterans with issues like mine or worse.

For those veterans seeking vouchers for housing, it is important to check with each participating agency to verify that using one voucher; in my case, the HASA voucher is only good for the five boroughs of NYC. won’t disqualify the veteran for the HUD/VASH voucher which can be used anywhere in the United States. In most cases, if the veteran accepts and uses one voucher, they are no longer considered homeless and the HUD/VASH program is no longer relevant.

The moment the veteran becomes homeless, contact the VA to start the process of obtaining the voucher. The veteran will need: birth certificate, ss card, DD-214, bank statements, the award letter for the veteran collecting benefits or compensation, letters from therapists and doctors in support of a particular living situation best suited to what the needs of the veteran require. If possible, assemble a packet (pdf) as an attachment to any emails.

This veteran is being ‘presented’ to the higher ups tomorrow. The process is supposed to take about 2-3 months, so get started early.

Be The Story: CitiLeaf Supportive Housing (1 page)

Be The Story: Borden Ave Veterans Residence

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 20:53:45 GMT

Trip to Arizona results in loss of cubicle

While I had been planning a move from Phoenix for some time, I had no idea when, where, or how. It wasn’t until I woke up that second morning in a hotel in Chinatown that I realized how happy I was when I lived in Chicago during the 90’s. I had already started the intake at the 30 ^th St. Shelter so I was familiar with the process and started there. That’s the good thing about veterans; most of us can be dropped off in the middle of nowhere and fend for ourselves. Had I not needed my birth certificate and social security card, I wouldn’t have needed to return to Arizona at all. In retrospect, it was necessary to return, but at a cost to my present living conditions at the Borden Ave. Veterans’ Residence after an A/C repair necessitated giving up my cubicle to another veteran while I was in Arizona.

While I was provided a cubicle when I arrived back on the 20 ^th , I neglected to request to be reinstated in the program on Monday and on Tuesday, was again moved for another veteran; but this time, to one of five open bays which consist of beds and lockers. The bays are there for the veterans which may not be eligible for VA services, or in the process of applying or filing a claim. This allows even the veteran unable to receive services such as HUD/VASH, but avails them of being surrounded by other veterans, supportive staff, and counselors. And security. This is still New York after all, and both shelters I have stayed at have strict security; at the entrance and throughout the facility.

Be The Story: Homeless in New York

183:876704590 (Timothy Pena) — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 19:49:53 GMT

New to New York City

I initially visited NYC to participate in a documentary on suicide prevention. For this documentary to work I actually participated in the process of going ‘homeless’ (which I was) and registered with the New York City Dept of Homeless Services located on 30th St. in Manhattan – just seven blocks from the Manhattan Harbor VA. The men’s shelter is an eight-story former school with classrooms serving as offices and 2–5-man rooms. It was quite an experience.

Everyone entering the building passes through a metal detector and belongings are thoroughly inspected. There are no weapons allowed or any item that could be used as a weapon. No outside food is allowed, and no food can be removed from the dining area. There is security and staff everywhere.

Although formidable, the result is a calm, peaceful environment with tons of support from case workers from multiple agencies (including the VA with an onsite veteran’s case manager three days a week). There are laundry facilities, hot meals, showers, and comfy beds. Essentially, it is a steppingstone intake for the hundreds of temporary residents who will be referred to other short-term housing and supportive programs. What is amazing is that Veterans experiencing homelessness are immediately identified and fast-tracked to a number of transitional programs regardless of military discharge status.

I was transferred to the Borden Avenue Veterans’ Residence in Long Island City in Queens; a large sprawling building with hundreds of beds in open bays and 6 x 9 ft cubicles. Here, the cubicles are provided to veterans that qualify for HUD/VASH and all the veterans are provided a safe haven with meals, showers, counseling services, and access to mental health and medical providers.

I was immediately assigned a case worker to assist in obtaining permanent housing, whether with HUD/VASH or any number of veteran-supportive housing programs and employment opportunities structured around a vet’s needs. As a 62+ veteran with physical and mental health disabilities, they made sure that I would be aware of need-specific options available through agencies on the federal, state, and city levels. Thorough!

My start at the 30th St. men’s shelter in two weeks has positioned me to be approved for a HUD/VASH voucher for which the Phoenix VA and CRRC refused to allow me to apply! This provided me an immediate confirmation that these people were on my side.

In that same, short time I was also accepted to participate in an SSVF program providing business opportunities and housing to veterans. I’m surrounded by an amazing staff of case workers and counselors, and a security staff and feel accepted, respected and safe.

It is no wonder why the per-capita suicide rate of New York is less than half that of Arizona. It is proof-positive that the Veteran-based support policies and programs for at-risk and vulnerable veterans being done in NYC reduces stress and contributes to saving lives. I expect to count mine among them.

Be The Story: Homeless in New York (printable pdf 2-pages)

Veterans Justice Project

A Practical Solution for NYC’s Veterans: Repurposing Vacant Hotel Shelters

NYC Department of Homeless Services Saw an Increase in Funding of 67% to House Immigrants in Hotels. Half of the Those Hotels are Now Empty

Federal Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Failures in NYC Veteran Housing Program

Navy Veteran Challenges Conditions, Oversight, and Discrimination in Veterans Affairs Federally Funded Transitional Program

Veteran Suicide in New York State: 2023 Data Snapshot

A Nearly 26% Increase in Veteran Suicide in One Year

A New Year’s Reckoning: When Punishment Is Called Care—and Veterans Pay the Price

New York City Council Committee on Veterans Complicit

A Call to Action for Veterans: Before It’s Too Late

NYC Council Committee on Veterans Must Confront the Veteran Transitional Program Housing Crisis

VA-Funded Transitional Program for Veterans Undermined by NYC Shelter Policies

NYC Department of Homeless Services in Violation of Federal Public Law that Provides Veterans Affairs Benefits to Eligible Veterans in MICA Homeless Shelter in Long Island City

Errant Email Exposes End Veteran Debt Founder Bankruptcy and Collections

Staten Island Director of Veterans Services for Staten Island Military and Veterans Families (SMVF) Taskforce and Business Partner Claims He Was Unaware

Donations Diverted: City Faces Scrutiny Over Borden Avenue Veterans Residence

Despite millions in federal funding and steady community support, veterans at Borden Avenue report missing donations, a closed kitchen, and retaliation for speaking out.

Veteran Debt and Suicide Risk: Broadening the Scope

Financial Instability Increasingly Recognized as a Risk Factor for Veteran Suicide

The Intersection of Debt, Court Fines, and Suicide Risk Among U.S. Veterans

Care Must Be Taken When Offering Services to End Veteran Debt

The Rabbit Hole of Suicide: A Veteran’s Journey

Suicide ideation is a tug-of-war. One side whispers, “Let go.” The other side reminds you of the unfinished business

Systemic Failures in Veteran Care: Widespread Failures and Resident Abuse at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System in Queens

Veterans deserve safe, transitional housing with clear reporting procedures, thorough investigations, proper documentation, and staff trained to respond to incidents

Federal Lawsuit Targets NYC Dept. of Homeless Services, Institute for Community Living, and Former Manhattan VA Homeless Services Director Over Veteran Care Failures

Borden Avenue veterans' program accused of violating federal law, denying services, and retaliating against veterans who speak out.

NYC Homeless Programs Deny Transportation for Honorably-Discharged Veterans - Despite Veterans Affairs Funding

Lack of Transportation for VA-eligible Veterans in Violations of Congress and Federal Public Law

Not All Veterans Are Created Equal

NYC Council and Mayor Must Do Better for VA-Eligible Veterans

Weighing the Risks of SQUARES

Bringing the Community and Veterans Together

Lessons from Phoenix: How a Stand Down Can Help NYC’s 135,000 Veterans

The Financial Impact of Foreign Tourism

Tariff War Puts $200 Billion International Tourism At Risk

Discrepancies in Veterans Enrolled in the GPD Program

Homeless Veterans, Veterans Affairs Monies Unaccounted For

Veterans For Sale: Exploiting Homeless Veterans

Veterans Affairs Shelter Borden Avenue Shuts Out Donors, Opens Door to Disability Claims Predators

The Struggles of Veterans in New York City's Homeless Shelters: A Call for Change

Correct the Allotment Disparity for Veteran’s Services: Sign the Petition

The Struggle of NYC Homeless Veterans: Navigating a Broken System

Department of Homeless Services Raking in Millions, Delivering Little to Veterans

New York City Mayor to Veterans: Let Them Eat Cake

Mayor Adams Tells Veterans No Funding. Puts Financial Burden on Veterans Affairs While Migrants in Hotels

A Tale of Two Transitions: Advocating for Veterans in NYC Shelters

Department of Homeless Services Failing Veterans

A Tale of Two Transitions: Advocating for Veterans in NYC Shelters (printable pdf)

MTA and Fair Fares STILL Not Playing Fair

NYC yet to put Fair Fares program into effect, while cracking down on Fare Jumpers

Is This the Future Our Veterans Deserve?

As veterans, we upheld our oath to serve and protect this country.

A Tale of Two Transitions: The Forgotten Veterans of Borden Ave

According to Reports, Veterans in NYC are Disappearing from Veterans Affairs Transitional Program.

A Tale of Two Transitions

Power Point Presentation Highlights Abuses to VA Veterans in NYC Department of Homeless Shelters

Corruption in NYC Department of Homeless Services Affecting Veterans

NYC Department of Investigation (DOI) Report Unveils Mismanagement

Veterans in Federal Veterans Affairs Transitional Program Abandoned in Violent NYC DHS Shelters

Homeless Veterans in NYC Need an Advocate to have their back. That’s supposed to be NYC Dept of Veterans Services ﻿

A Tale of Two Transitional Programs

Nutritional meals are a vital part of the transitional program.

Fair Fares STILL Not Playing Fair

NYC yet to put Fair Fares program into effect, while cracking down on Fare Jumpers

A Tale of Two Transitional Programs

Veterans Affairs Transitional Program categorized as a 'Prison with a Day Pass'

Thousands of Disabled Veterans Denied MTA Reduced Fares

Be the Story: NYC Department of Veterans Services in Crosshairs

Borden Ave Veterans Program Placing Veterans at Risk

Congressional Veterans Affairs transitional program being abused by NYC Dept. of Homeless Services. Hundreds of thousands of federal dollars unaccounted for while VA-eligible veterans sleep in violent shelters.

Despite an In-House Culinary School, Borden Ave. Veterans Still Fed Cold Rice and Green Beans

Security for the VA transitional program nearly twice cost of food for homeless veterans at $6.60 a day

La Lettre de l’Audiovisuel Interview: Timothy Pena, veteran and journalist

"Writing saved my life"

INTERVIEW SEEN FROM THE US. Timothy Pena is an American veteran who has been in prison and homeless. He helps his peers to reintegrate and access social assistance. He also became a journalist, to help make America and the media understand the plight of veterans.

A Night on the Town

Veteran homelessness increased by 7.4% in 2023

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VA Transitional Program Operating From Violent Shelter

Homeless Veterans in NYC Need an Advocate to have their back. That’s supposed to be NYC Dept of Veterans Services

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