STEPPING FORWARD
Improving NYC Government for Veterans
T
his year, NYC
government
passed a budget
that included a
Veterans Services Initiative that
provides nearly
$1 million to various community organizations to
address critical needs of
the City’s veterans, including homeless prevention,
job placement and transition services, legal services, mental health services,
and community development. This is more than
double the amount allocated by the City Council for
veterans services last year.
“Far too many veterans
struggle to rebuild their
lives after bravely serving
our country,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
“New York City has a duty
and an obligation to support our veterans in their
time of need. The Veterans Services Initiative will
connect these courageous
men and women to jobs,
legal assistance, counseling and housing opportunities so that veterans can
navigate these challenges
and transition successfully
back to civilian life. Every
day, New York City thanks
the veterans who put their
lives on the line for our
country and our freedom.”
“The City Council is
leading the way in supporting our veterans,”
said Council Member Eric
Ulrich, Chair of the Committee on Veterans. “The
funding we have allocated
for legal services, compre-
hensive mental health and
job training and placement
is only a small token of appreciation for those who
have sacrificed so much on
our behalf. I want to thank
the Speaker and all my colleagues for making veterans and their families a priority in this year’s budget.”
In addition to this Veterans Services Initiative,
Mayor de Blasio’s Administration agreed to the
Council’s recommendation
to allocate additional resources to the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs by
providing Veterans Service
Officers that will serve all
five boroughs. The Administration has also committed to provide additional
staff at the Department of
Homeless Services dedi-
cated to serving homeless
veterans.
In a survey of recent veterans, nearly 70 percent
cited finding employment
as their biggest challenge;
statewide, approximately
23,000 veterans are currently unemployed, according
to the federal Bureau of
Labor Statistics. In 2013,
the Food Bank of NYC reported that 70,000 veterans
in New York City, nearly
30% of the total veteran
population, relied on soup
kitchens and food pantries
to avoid going hungry.
More work needs to be
done, especially as increasing numbers of veterans
are returning to NYC as
the military draws down
from recent conflicts. This
will take the continued
efforts of community advocates, the NYC Council,
City Hall, and the Public
Advocate.
NOVEMBER 11, 2015
31