[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> preliminary budget for the Department of Veteran Services or DVS and the 2026 preliminary mayor's management report metrics for this agency. Just to speak a bit about the reason I was so eager to chair this committee and the reason I was so eager to preside over hearings like this. Unfortunately, I think for too long around the country, but especially in the city, New York's veterans have been overlooked and in many cases ignored. And these are the men and women not only have that have put their lives in harm's way in service of the country, but this is the one group of people that everybody should be lining up to get behind and support because the issues that affect veterans, they are the issues that everyone should care about no matter their political persuasion. If you care about homelessness, the forefront of the homelessness epidemic has to be veterans. If you care about mental illness, substance abuse, suicide prevention, veterans have uh all sorts of issues with respect to all those. If you care about law enforcement, if you care about public safety, if you care about health care, all of these are issues which are part and parcel with the issues that veterans are facing. Unfortunately, while a lot of stereotypes happen not to be true of all sorts of groups, one stereotype that I've noticed in dealing with more and more veterans in my short time chairing this committee is the tough, strong, silent type. Even veterans that are in need of services, they are only too happy and in some cases too proud to suffer in silence because so many of them were not raised and are not from a culture of complaining. And the old cliché of the squeaky wheel gets the the grease so often happens to be true. Whereas other groups that in some cases are much better served by the administration of city government than veterans are only too happy to loudly protest whenever a T is improperly crossed or an I is improperly dotted on something that they're being served with, veterans are so often quiet. That's why I really appreciate the testimony from the people to hear from today in terms of the public and I especially appreciate the testimony and the work that our new DVS commissioner has has been doing and that you're going to hear from in a moment. Well, what my goal is in chairing this committee and in presiding over this hearing is to I've never been accused of being quiet and I am going to be a megaphone and a mouthpiece mag- magnifying every veteran's issue. I have long felt that the budget appropriations to DVS since this department was founded have been woefully inadequate and to me the budget questions surrounding DVS and DVS related issues should be how can we get more money and how can we make the money that DVS already has more effective? And that's part of what I'm going to focus on in today's hearing. Smarter dollars and look, I'm a conservative, a fiscal conservative and a Republican. I am a steadfast guardian of taxpayer dollars, but the money that we're spending on veterans and on DVS specifically is not money that's uh that goes down the toilet. It is an investment. It is an investment in our city, not only our economy, but in many cases it could be a money multiplier because one of the biggest problems that we have is is that not enough veterans are self-identifying and one of the things that that's caused is we've seen a tremendous lack of dollars, potentially millions, that are left on the table from Washington and elsewhere because of that lack of self-identification. Now, who's at the forefront of self-identification of veterans? It's DVS. So, I don't see how cutting any money from DVS serves our purposes, not only for the veterans community, but for the New York City taxpayers. With that, I would like to welcome DVS's new commissioner, Yesenia Mata, and I am very, very pleased that she's joining us once again, although a bit irked that she and her compatriots neglected to include me on the wear pink in solidarity memo. Good morning, commissioner. Good morning, council member. We're going to swear you in in a moment, but I also want to introduce my colleague from Queens, the co-chair of the very distinguished Common Sense Caucus, Council Member Phil Wong. And following testimony and questions for DVS, we're going to hear public testimony immediately following that. Thank you to all the advocates and community members who've joined us today. DVS's fiscal 2027 preliminary budget is $6.6 million. That's a million dollars less than the fiscal 2026 adopted budget. We're going to get into why that is the case and why there's a disparity there. It's partly due to $585,000 in council discretionary funding that's in the fiscal 2026 budget only. New funding in the preliminary plan totals $29,391 in fiscal 2026, uh growing to uh 444,750 in fiscal 2027 and in the out years. And I'm looking forward to discussing uh DVS's budget to at today's hearing, as well as the current state of several key agency programs, including housing assistance and NYC Vet Connect, as well as where DVS and the administration plan to take these programs and the agency at large in the future. We're also interested in understanding how the agency is working to meet the savings mandate issued by Mayor Adams and how these efforts might affect services to our city's veterans. Many indicators in the PMMR point to incredible success in reaching veterans and providing high-quality services by DVS. An 18% increase in placements of homeless veterans and their families into housing. A more than 900% increase in those receiving DVS's homelessness prevention and housing stability services. An 11.1% increase in visits to DVS's website and a 77.3% increase in public engagement events attended by the agency. I'm incredibly encouraged by these numbers. I think we do still have uh more to go, but it's clear that DVS is doing great work and that's something to be celebrated, analyzed, and then replicated. While overall, DVS reported very positive metrics in the PMMR, I am curious to hear about a 14.1% decline in those served by the Vet Connect platform, a pause to the Mission Vet Check program, and a decreased utilization rate of the Collaborative Case Management Housing Vouchers. Finally, I would like to hear about how DVS is strategizing to meet the needs of the city's veterans amidst a changing federal landscape. While we feel changes made to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs here on the ground, we must not let that mean our city's veterans and their family members suffer. I look forward to hearing Commissioner Adams' thoughts on this, as well as what the agency hopes to accomplish more broadly during her tenure. I'm looking forward to today to discussing all of this, the budget, and the performance metrics in the PMMR. I hope I hope we're all going to walk away with an understanding of DVS's goals in this new administration and their strategies for meeting the complex needs of our city's veterans. It's the council's responsibility to ensure that the city's budget is fair, transparent, and accountable to all city's veterans. And as the chair of the Veterans Committee, I'm going to continue to advocate for the delivery of a veteran services budget that reflects the needs and values of veterans across the five boroughs. I want to thank both my staff and the committee staff for their help in preparing for this uh meeting. And I also want to thank the staff of the Finance Committee, as well. Let me thank, in no particular order, Margaret Barnsley, financial analyst, uh Julia Haramis, assistant director, Richard Yates Wong, a Percy Sutton fellow, Alejandro Caraval, our legislative counsel, Makhnur Bhutta, our policy analyst, my chief of staff, Frank Rapacciolo, my budget director, Briana Nasti, and the entire team back in the district office. Uh I Before we introduce someone who is rapidly becoming my favorite commissioner in the current administration, although truth be told, that's not a heavy lift, I I will turn it over to the committee counsel to administer the oath to members of the administration. Thank you, Chair. Good morning. Um please raise your right hands. Um I'll call on you one by one. Uh do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your testimony before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions? Uh Commissioner Mata. Yes, I do. Nicole Orlando. Yes, I do. Jack Birdy. Thank you. You may begin. Good morning, Chair and members of the Veterans Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ysenia Mata and I serve as commissioner of the New York City Department of Veterans Services. I also serve as a captain in the US Army Reserves. And as a military spouse, I understand that when one person serves, the whole family serves. DVS exists because of New York City veterans. They wanted a place that understands their needs, helps them access services in a culturally competent way, and supports them and their families through complex systems. New York City is home to about 131,000 veterans. Our role is to help them navigate these complex systems by turning options into clear, workable plans. When a veteran is at risk of losing housing, we step in early, connecting them with the right city partners and veteran-specific resources to stabilize the situation. When someone feels overwhelmed by a federal claims process, we help organize their documents, track deadlines, and keep the claim moving forward. And when a veteran isn't sure where to turn for work, food support, or mental health services, we connect them to the right partners and stay involved to make sure that the connection works. In FY25, DVS directly served 1,509 veterans, including 393 women veterans, across housing stabilization, employment pathways, VA claims navigation, entrepreneurship, and care coordination. These are documented service interactions tied to next steps, not just passive referrals. With that as a baseline, I want to speak briefly about the FY27 preliminary budget. Under the January plan, DVS's budget changes from 7.7 million in FY26 to 6.0 million in FY27. I want to add an important clarification for the record. The FY27 figure for the January plan is not the full picture of the resources we expect to have available by the start of the fiscal year. As we move from the preliminary budget to the adopted budget, we anticipate budget updates that will affect the FY27 total, including the rollover of state to wire grants funds from FY26 into FY27, and any discretionary funding the city council may provide in FY27. So, while we take the January plan seriously and are operating within those means, we also expect the FY27 budget picture to evolve as these items become finalized. During this budget hearing, it is also important to be clear about DVS's role. The VA is the one that provides health care and federal benefits. DVS does not duplicate that. Our role is to help veterans access what they earned by translating the process into a manageable plan, supporting veterans through the steps, and connecting them to city and community resources that fill gaps in real life. We also serve veterans who are not connected to the VA at all, including those who do not self-identified until they need help. We cannot solve every federal issue, but we can help make sure veterans do not fall between systems. What matters most is how we manage the plan in front of us. During this budget period under the January plan, we are focused on maintaining consistent service, keeping partners aligned, and ensuring we have disciplined internal operations, so veterans continue to receive timely, effective support. Looking ahead to FY27, we will have 50 authorized positions and anticipate further budget updates. Veterans answered the call to serve us, and our responsibility now is to be there for them. Thank you, and I welcome your questions. Thank you, Commissioner. Um you were kind enough to testify at our last hearing on how we can do a better job serving female veterans, and I appreciate the vision that you laid out for DVS in in that hearing. I'm wondering if you can expand on that a bit. Do you see DVS's role in the lives of the city's veterans evolving, deepening, or expanding? How so? Thank you for the question. As the new commissioner, I am learning about the agency. I am learning about the systems that are in place, but I also have been holding roundtables and meeting with various veteran groups and individuals one-on-one. The goal here is to hear from them directly, to see what works, what's not working, or how can we improve the systems within. I specifically did held a roundtable of women veterans, where they mentioned that this was the first time that they had held a roundtable at DVS that focused specifically on women veterans and what they go through. And the stories that they were telling and sharing were very it it was it was of concern, heartbreaking, but at the same time of resilience. That is what I am trying to bring into DVS, to make sure that I could connect with groups, hear them out, to be able to establish better systems in place, because there is a lot of work that us as DVS do have to do to to and I acknowledge that, and I am willing to to listen to every group and work with the city council to help improve the systems that we also have in place. I I've expressed to you before and said publicly that I think your commissionership and your role has got to be one of the more frustrating ones in city government because, unlike the police commissioner that gets to tell police what to do, or the firefighter that gets to preside over the fire department, so many of the benefits that veterans get are dependent on state and federal services, and so much of what you guys do with DVS is steering people towards what the federal government's doing, what state government is doing, and the opportunities that may be available veterans there. So, if those agencies aren't living up to their end of the bargain, that is something that a lot of times you could be powerless to stop. Given that, what are your short-term, your mid-term, and long-term goals for the agency as you take the helm? Thank you for the question. Well, as a new commissioner commissioner, as I mentioned, I am uh at the systems. That That is one of the short-term goals goals that I do have in in mind to again hear directly from the veteran groups, and and for them to let me know again what's working, what's not working. So, that is one of the short-term goals that I do want to uh reevaluate the the agency and re reevaluate our relationship with the veteran groups. Uh mid-term goals is to ensure that once these systems are in place, that we can actually produce when I say produce is I understand that there's um that there's groups that would like to see more of DVS, whether it is out there, whether it is for us to um better report to them when it comes to data. I I am hoping to be able to deliver that particular um aspect of that. But, a long-term goal is to for veterans to to feel not just veterans, but for us to do a better job for them to be able to self-identify. And once that happens for us for there to be more connection and resources available for veterans for them to be able to know where to go, such as create better partnerships with nonprofits, create better partnerships even across uh across uh city agencies agencies with other commissioners. And that's what I'm doing. I am um the next step is to hold meetings with various commissioners and bring veterans to the table because, as you mentioned in your testimony, it's not just veteran issues social veteran issues include health care, they include um aging, they include um various other issues. So, I want to make sure that we can also bring other commissioners to the table to help us. I want to acknowledge as well um our colleague and a member of this committee, Council Member Vickie Paladino, who's uh joining us via Zoom. And uh if you look up the word fight in the dictionary, there is a giant photo of Council Member Paladino, and the veterans of this city are very very lucky that she is uh a fighter for veterans and veterans issues. And if Council Member Paladino has any questions that she'd like to ask, she's free to either text me or email our committee council, Alejandro. Uh Commissioner, obviously a lot of people have been focused on the mayor's savings plan. Uh given the mayor's recent announcement that a chief savings officer will be appointed at each mayoral agency to identify city funds savings of 1 and 1/2% in fiscal 2026 and 2 and 1/2% in fiscal 2027, as I alluded to earlier, I'm very concerned about the potential impact on DVS and the services that it provides for the city's veterans and their families, especially given the agency's budget is already criminally small. In the fiscal 2026 adopted plan, $675,000 in baseline city funding was added for nine new positions at the agency to provide direct support to veterans with benefits, and we are particularly concerned if any of those positions have not yet been filled, they could now be at risk. Are any programs or aspects of DVS's budget exempt from this requirement? If so, which ones? Thank you for the question, and I will be passing it next to my colleague, Jack. But, before I pass it on to him, at DVS, we are working very closely with OMB to ensure that the agency can continue uh not being interrupted. So, those are ongoing conversations that I am having with OMB, especially as a new commissioner. I am learning again the systems, and the interest of for DVS is always to ensure that we can continue providing uninterrupted services. With that being said, uh we have in mind our current budget, where we are at the moment, and that is where my our mindset is to just keep that in mind. This is where we are now, and then let's not interrupt anything. I understand that during post-allocation, there there's the Dwyer funding will will um be rollover. There the Dwyer funding will also be implemented, but also when it comes to discretionary funds, like when it comes to to the post-allocations, I know that there's going to be uh the but we will be back into hold. But, right now what I'm trying to do is to just understand where I am at um as the agency um and to ensure that we don't interrupt any services. So, I will now pass it on to Jack. Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Council. Good morning. And if you would, please just state your name for the record. >> Uh so, my name is Jack Berdy. I am the executive director of finance at DVS. It's a pleasure to meet you all this morning. Um to kind of confirm what the commissioner said regarding any cost savings, we are working closely with OMB. No decisions have been made as of today, and these discussions are ongoing. Is there a timetable for when those decisions will be made? So, at the moment, we are working with with OMB. To my knowledge, we are supposed to be implementing um a plan by this week. However, as DVS, I am still continuing as of today these conversations with OMB because my goal is to ensure that we can continue uh providing services to veterans uninterrupted. And could you share what programs and services might see reduced funding from the savings exercise, or is that too premature as well? So, as as DVS, again, I am still continuing those ongoing conversations with OMB. I am I understand that as DVS, we are a per se small agency with a small budget. So, as DVS, I am ensuring that can be um that I can inform OMB as much as possible as to why DVS should continue um not being interrupted. So, those are ongoing conversations, and they're still continuing as of today. Are you aware or if you could say at this point, how many of the nine new positions added at adoption have been filled, and if any remain vacant, could they potentially be eliminated as part of the mayor's vacancy mandate? At the moment, we have 50 uh authorized positions at DVS. We do have four vacancies, and as a new commissioner, I am reevaluating the the systems in place to in in also um to to be able to provide better services to veterans. So, with that being said, I am as a new commissioner ensuring that I can communicate this to OMB um the importance of continuing not being interrupted, but as well to help us be successful for fiscal FY27. One of the things I've most enjoyed as a city council member in the um 11 months that I've had the good fortune to be one, is the uh Vallone VSO officers that, if people are unaware of or the public is unaware of, come to our office once a month, and they will help veterans get steered towards services that they're entitled to, but may have questions about or may not know how to navigate. And the folks that have been in our office, Eddie, Amy, Ryan, have been top-notch and really become a part of our district office family. And uh one of the the few complaints that I heard about this program, and I think it's a real crowning achievement of the city council that we were able to implement this program, is that, well, you know, these VSOs are just duplicating services that are available from other nonprofits and DVS. Is there a need for the the VSO? So, on the question of duplication of services, given the mandate to find savings, does DVS believe any of its services are duplicative to what other levels of government or CBOs do? Have these areas been examined as possible places for DVS to shift money towards other services? Thank you for the question, and actually that is an excellent question because that is as soon as I came into DVS, that is the first question I asked. Um again, we are reevaluating our systems. I want to make sure that if we are reporting, we are also reporting um accurate data and to to ensure that because this data also will help other veterans to obtain the services that they need or also can provide support to the nonprofits that may need funding, and they they will have this accurate data. So, as a new commissioner, I am looking into the systems to make sure that there's no no duplicate of data, but um with that being said, I do know that the Valone program I it's finally off it's finally off the ground. I I as a new commissioner, I I do come from the organizing in the grassroots movement, and I do know how important it is to get programs like that off the ground, and I've talked directly with with with with um with Ryan, who is is one of the people leading this, and I could attest like the care that he he handles, the care that his team is handling. So, with that being said, I am trying to work closely with with with with those individuals that are working within the Valone program, but as well listening to other grassroots groups or and groups and individuals and nonprofits to also help us understand is this being duplicative? Then what can we do as an agency to to not do that, so we can then focus on another um and another way to further support um the Valone program or other services that on a state and a city level uh are being provided to veterans. I will now pass it to um my colleague Nicole um to further explain on that. Thank you, Commissioner, and thank you, Council. I'm Nicole Orlando, I'm the Deputy Chief of Staff here. And just to add to that question about the duplicative services, one thing I do want to highlight separate of the VA and the services they provide is that for us as a city agency, we are not only helping those that are VA eligible. We know that there is a whole entire population here in New York City of veterans who are not VA eligible or may have a dishonorable discharge, or we also assist family members, caregivers, and supporters. So, for us, we have a little bit of difference of different federal and state agencies because we do serve a different type of veteran population also. With that, I will uh I have a number of other questions for you, but I don't want to monopolize the uh Q&A. Well, I'll invite my colleague Council Member Wang to ask a couple questions. >> Um thank [clears throat] you, Commissioner, for coming. Um I would like to start uh by mentioning uh April 8th, 2016. That's next month uh that date is particularly special because it was that day that 10 years ago that that this agency was founded under Mayor de Blasio, and and and I'm looking at your budget here and at 7.7 million, we we we've been operating for 10 years and uh with the budget of 7.7 million out of the city's total budget of 115 billion. Now, I I mentioned this slightly last time, but uh you do the math, that's .0067% of our total city budget. And I can say uh uh the right is a rounding error to many city agencies with this kind of of your budget that you're you're working with, and and and I think everyone here on this committee uh will work with you to to get more resources for your agency because I just don't see how how you're going to serve or do any outreach to 131,000 veterans with a budget that's like a rounding error to to many city agencies, and and uh like I mentioned last time, you'll be hearing from me um the various uh schools, uh other city agencies that that have data that you may may be able to utilize that you can reach out to the 131,000 veterans and let them know the services that you're offering uh because uh my experience, I think some of the veterans are not aware of the services, or they may feel ashamed, you know, um I pay for everything I have, why do I need to ask the city for money, you know? This is the mentality that that that I'm getting when I speak to veterans, right? So, I I don't have a question, but I'm saying I I work with you, the whole committee work with you in a better doing better outreach, and we can certainly serve more than 1,509 veterans out of the population of 131,000. Thank you Commissioner. Thank you, Council Member. I we truly appreciate that. As and and I I always like to emphasize this again as as a new commissioner and the way that that that I I lead, I do like to work very closely with with with groups with the nonprofit communities because I know that there are the ones who really carry the community, the veteran community from the bottom up. So, as DVS, I know that if additional funding or support is further given to us, I do want to make sure that I do amplify those groups, those individuals, those nonprofits that um that that are doing that hardcore work, I would like to say. So, um so, thank you for that because I as DVS, one of my goals to further also support those those community leaders, veterans who are are doing this work to and they are really outreaching even further to veterans. Um So, thank you for that. Commissioner, uh we've heard a great deal recently about the shrinking and privatized federal services. Uh recent reporting has detailed the US Department of Veteran Affairs' struggle to hire and retain mental health care workers. This has led to staffing shortages and sometimes deadly gaps in care for the veterans who depend on these services. Moreover, the VA is moving towards a privatized model of health care, shifting funding from its in-house medical services and to community care, a program that allows veterans to receive care from private providers through the VA health insurance. Many veterans advocates say this privatized care is lower quality. I'm curious, how has DVS seen the effects of these changes to veterans' benefits at the federal level? Thank you for the question. Before I pass it on to my colleague um Nicole, um that is that is a very important question because I think that also goes to why the Dwyer funding is super important because the Dwyer funding does focus primarily on on providing that mental health support to other veterans, like peer-to-peer group is they're reaching out to veterans in the in the way they would like to be reached. Again we all of us like to be reached differently, whether it's through the arts, whether it's through through cooking, right? So, that this is one of the initiatives that's really important, but also at DVS, we do have our executive director of community and mental health, and the the the executive director, what she does is build coalitions with other groups or or agencies that are providing mental health services or can provide any other support to veterans. So, that is something that we do have at the agency, and further um the way that we also further provide mental health support to families is through the family uh the military family advocate that it's a way to work with which again was was uh first started in Staten Island to be able to walk families through through through how to deal how to walk military families um through whatever they're they're going through. So, this is an initiative that we also have at at DVS, but I I just wanted to focus on that right now, the the the city, what we're doing, but I'm going to now pass it on to my colleague uh Nicole. Thank you for the question, Council. So, what it's no surprise to anyone that there are a lot of veterans here in the city who do rely heavily on VA benefits, whether that be their educational benefits, the disability compensation, and health care in general. So, for us, we know that there is a reliance and need here in New York City on those types of benefits. So, a lot of the data that we look towards from the VA is in fiscal year 2024, that gives us a little bit more insight into these direct expenditures. And I think what it tells us is that there is a significant need there, and that when there's an issue with a veteran accessing those benefits or them becoming privatized or not being there, that's going to create a significant gap in services. So, for us as being the City Department of Veteran Services, what we want to make sure is that we're keeping our veterans connected. So, it may not be with those federal programs, but what we can do is make sure that different city systems, state programs are being leveraged to fill that gap. And just um to to provide some some data on this, um the importance of DVS ensuring that veterans are connected, in 2024, New York had about three 315,315 enrollees um into the VA health care, and 197,384 unique patients that were treated, and 5,300 5,932 I'm sorry, 5,932,401 total visits. So, and including 5,152 uh going back again, um I'm sorry, 5,152,633 visits 5,152,633 visits at the VA facilities. Um so, that just shows the importance of um the VA health care uh numbers in New New York, but also the importance of DVS to ensure that we can continue connecting veterans to these services. Thank you. And I apologize for the numbers. They No, no, that's okay. It just it now I I could tell I could I don't know how to count. And I would just ask uh just to remind Mr. Brody and Ms. Orlando for the ease of the transcribers and anybody that may be tuning in late, if you could just every time you speak, just restate your name for the record. Obviously, we all know who you are, but the people tuning in late maybe saying who's that. Uh speaking of people joining us, I also want to acknowledge the students from Brooklyn Apple Academy who are observing us today. Brooklyn Apple Academy is a terrific home school resource and community center in Brooklyn, which really unlike any community center and home school resource center goes out of its way to get its students real world experience. And I think you'll get quite an education in hearing the testimony from the folks that you're hearing from today. So, welcome and thank you for being here. I'm looking forward to meeting with you guys afterwards. Commissioner in terms of what DVS would like to see in the fiscal 2027 budget, the November plan didn't include any changes to DVS's budget and the preliminary plan included one small adjustment, which we've touched upon a bit already. Is there anything specific you would like to see for DVS in the executive plan released in May? Thank you for the question. Um So, as DVS at the moment, I again as the new commissioner, I am working very closely with OMB. I am being um honest to OMB of where we are as an agency and the support that is needed. Um these are ongoing conversations, but I do reiterate to OMB the importance of ensuring that DVS continues providing services on uninterrupted. Um as as DVS at the moment, I am focusing at where we are right now to ensure that we just continue providing steady services, continue aligning with the nonprofits. With that being said, the goal is to ensure that just our services don't continue being interrupted. I I and that is something that I continue reiterating to OMB. But additionally to that, that is why why I continue having round tables and meeting with with um various um uh leaders in the community to ensure to understand what are what are further the needs. I know that again with the goal of being uninterrupted, I do hope to ensure that we do have better systems in place at DVS. I I am looking at every system in place. I and in looking into whatever the partners or individuals tell me, you know what, this is what DVS needs to work on. I I'm that is where I am at the moment. But I to your question is my goal as of right now is to ensure that we do are not interrupted. You in your testimony said that 1,509 veterans have been served and that there were documented service interactions tied to next steps. When DVS says a veteran was served, what specifically qualifies? How many of those 1,509 veterans achieved a concrete outcome like housing, employment, or benefits approval? Thank you for the question. So, at DVS, when we provide services to an individual, it's just not a one handoff per se. What ends up happening, especially whether it is a VA claim, I'm going to use that as an example, it's not just a one-day thing. It's something that needs to be followed through. It could take weeks, it could take months, but even through that process, an individual might want additional resources, whether it is to connect them to the VA for health care or to that they would like entrepreneurship. So, when we do when we do intervene, it is and and I believe too as DVS, we do have to do a better we have to do better to further elaborate of what it consists of every time we I would like to say intervene, right? Because I think that is a story that is not fully being told or documented, so that is further something I'm trying to work on. Um to ensure that we can report on that, but I will now pass it on to Nicole so she can go further and elaborate on that. Thank you for the question, Council. This is Nicole. So, I think for us what we've noticed is that it is a spectrum when someone is coming to us for services and can really range with the service that they're requesting. So, on the housing side of it, they may just need that initial counseling and assistance with what their plan is, what their goals should be, or it may be receiving a voucher, or just needing to use their VA home loan. So, there's it's a very wide spectrum of what success for each veteran looks like. Um especially on the employment side, sometimes it is just needing help with the resume, sometimes it's connection to different career prep programs. For us, it's just making sure that we're taking that personalized approach so that when someone comes through our doors, they have a plan of action moving ahead and we're helping them make those different referrals to whatever services that they need. Somewhat related. Yeah. Of the veterans that DVS engages, do we know how many actually complete the process and receive the services or benefit that they were referred to? Yeah, so thank you for that question. For us, it's the same situation of where we are referring out to different partners. It is then on the partners to report back what the outcomes are. Internally for some of those services that we provide, specifically on the housing, the employment, entrepreneurship, we have a more direct hand in what those outcomes are because we provide more of those direct services. But that is something that we are actively working on through our VetConnect system to ensure that we're having more accurate outcomes data. I want to ask about VetConnect in a moment, but in your testimony, Commissioner, and in my remarks, we talked about the people that are not self-identifying and I know that's been a struggle for everybody. And you said that you serve veterans who are not connected, including those who don't self-identify. >> [snorts] >> Do we have an estimate of how many veterans in New York City are not engaged with DVS at all? And what specifically are we doing to reach them? Thank you for the question. And when it comes to self-identification, I think the conversations prior were always, why aren't veterans self-identifying? I think with me coming in here and working with the rest of team and listening to various other leaders in the community, it's not so much why aren't veterans identifying, but what are we doing to make it easier for them to identify or to make sure that we have better better communication systems in place to for them to self-identify. Again, we all come from different backgrounds. We also have different ways that we would like to be reached. So, that is something that I am working actively. I the round tables that I've held and the meetings that I've had one-on-one, I'm listening to veterans and helping and for them to help me understand like as DVS, how should we do a better communication, whether it is through awareness, but how do we do it? Again, the round table that I had with women veterans and it was one of its kind at DVS, women were being very clear in how they wanted to be identified, but also the what they went through. Some of them had very um uh some experiences that that were very heartbreaking and and I could see why they didn't want to self-identify. So, this is we are in in a place where in in as a new commissioner, I am in a place where I could right now begin implementing certain systems in place so we can start off at the right foot. So, that is where I am at right now. Um I do hope that within the next year we're not having this conversation about self-identification that we can actually have conversations to say, perfect, how many people actually increased in self-identifying. So, my goal next year is to ensure that we're not having the same conversation. >> Me, too. Given the budget gap that we've all been talking about that the city is currently facing, are there any changes to the programming, organization, or workflow of the department that you'd like to see that don't require additional financial resources? At at DVS at the moment as as as I mentioned, I am doing the best along with my team and the and Jack, he likes to be called Jack, his name is John. With with Jack Jack to make sure that we can continue communic having close communication because the goal is to ensure that we are not interrupted. I think there's so much happening, whether it is at a federal level, state level, and at DVS, I am just focused on ensuring that we continue being uninterrupted, that we continue working aligning along with the veteran groups and what are their needs too, and whether that means maybe it's it's whether it's not budget or I mean funding, but what is it that that the veteran groups need? And my goal is to bring more awareness to them. I am meeting with various commissioners and I am trying to hold round tables uh with veteran groups, with other commissioners and other agencies because often time is DVS that's just whether and and thank you Council Member for hosting the the Black Veterans table. That was very important and I think we need to see more of that from various other Council Members and and various other commissioners, too. Again, this is not also just a Staten Island issue or a Queens issue or a Brooklyn issue. It's a it's a New York City issue. So, I what I am hoping to do is to ensure that I can bring awareness to all of these other great leaders that are on the ground doing the work and that they can have face-to-face with City Council Members and Commissioners. You were talking a bit about the the cuts, the proposed cuts in your in your testimony. Setting aside potential rollovers and discretionary funding, How does the reduction from 7.7 million to 6.6 million affect your operations today? Are there services that would be impacted if additional funding doesn't materialize? So, for FY26, we are at 7.6 million. That is a preliminary budget snapshot at the moment for the that and the FY I mean the FY27 budget that is 6.6 million. That's a preliminary budget at what the apparent drop is driven mainly by funding that is either time limited or not yet reflected. When it comes in two specific items are relevant here is a de wire funding um uh the FY26 uh reflects uh that the state de wire dollars including funds available for the rollover. The FY27 preliminary budget does not yet show the approved rollover that we expect to be reflected um as plan. Um and also for the city council discretionary, um that is funding that is still not seen right now as a preliminary plan. But, we do hope to see it in the post allocation. One of the points that I've been making uh to the public, to the speaker, to the mayor's office is that uh the money that we spend on DVS is an investment because of the increased potential for self-identification. Do you have an estimate of how much additional support the city and uh the veteran see on average per new person that self-identifies and is connected to benefits and comparatively, do you have an estimate of how much it costs DVS on average in outreach, case management, and other support services required to identify each new veteran the agency is able to identify? Yes, thank you for the question. Before I pass that question to uh my colleague Nicole, I At DVS at the moment as a new commissioner, I am looking in again and and I and I know I keep saying this, but I am looking into the systems that that we do have in place because I am looking at the type of of services one that we provide, but also the type of partnerships that we provide. I think you did mention before that about duplication, right? Whether I I I am looking into that with with our partners because if it's something that doesn't need to be duplicated or perhaps maybe duplicated, that DVS have a better approach of outreaching and providing better services or to ensure that that the staff is is provided the support that they need. So, with that being said, at DVS right now, I'm looking into the system to see the programs, the partners that we have, the cost of each program, or the cost of of of each service that we are providing, whether it is and when I when I say the cost of each service, whether it is that we are subcontracting um and it we do subcontract like how how is that further being reported or So, I am looking into all of the systems in place and I'm happy to get back to you on that as I keep um looking into the systems and developing the agency to meet the needs of the veterans. Thank you for that question. So, for us, I think the difference is in definitions. So, for self-identification versus VA benefits is a big difference of someone can be receiving their benefits, but still not socially self-identifying. So, I think for us the greatest data sets that we have is that in fiscal year 24 for VA benefits, 152.2 million was spent in the Bronx, 202.8 million in Brooklyn, 117.1 million in Manhattan, and 191.1 million in Queens, and 73.2 million in Staten Island was paid out by VA federal benefits. So, we know that we have data on that because these are someone who's enrolling in services, they're receiving the benefits. It's easier to capture that data and that dollar amount. So, for us, we're we're doing more on how much we can almost like the acquisition price of a veteran that we're interacting with. So, for us, that's some work that we're focusing on doing is what that dollar amount would look like, especially when we're thinking about someone who maybe isn't receiving benefits, isn't eligible to receive benefits, and for our interactions with them. And I think further cons um I'm glad that you brought that question because I think that's what I meant that is what I mentioned earlier that we also have to do a better job at DVS when we do say that we did um s- we did intervene and what does intervening mean? What does it entail? The time that it that that that takes for example again, I bring up DVA claims like that does take uh it does just not a one-day um uh support or or two days or a week. No, it could take months. So, I we do need to be do better on tracking that and showcasing the time as well that that it takes to provide these types of services and support. Uh let's uh speak a bit about Mission: VetCheck. Uh for people that may be unaware, uh Mission: VetCheck is a partnership between New York Cares and DVS and they recruit volunteers to make supportive buddy check wellness calls to veterans across the city. And according to the PMMR, Mission: VetCheck was paused for the first four months of fiscal 2026, but was scheduled to restart on December 21st, 2025 ahead of the holiday season. Uh first, why was Mission: VetCheck paused? Thank you for that question, Council. So, Mission: VetCheck operates in partnership with New York Cares and our agency, which works on a basis of recruiting volunteers to make these supportive buddy wellness checks across the city. So, it was paused for the first four months of fiscal year 2026 due to issues with retaining volunteers for this program and being able to have the infrastructure to have crisis care managers on the line when so if God forbid something did happen where someone was on the line and needed support and there needed to be connection. So, there was just some things that were being worked out in terms of the flow of the program. And further to to add to that, this is what uh what I I try to reiterate that as a new commissioner, I'm looking at how do we create better partnerships, but also how do we do support um those individuals that do come and volunteer, right? Oftentimes when uh I want to make sure that that volunteers are supported as well when they are either volunteering with DVS and and to um so that is something that when it comes to volunteers or working with other partners, I I am trying to solidify better stronger relationships. I I know we have work to do and and I am open and honest about that and I am that is why I continue meeting with various groups uh to hear directly from them and but but again, at DVS, we do have the executive director of community and mental health and um she has been great at creating building coalitions with various other agencies and nonprofits to to hear directly from them. So, we continue working hand in hand with our ED to make sure that we can have better systems in place. Did the program restart on December 21st of of last year as was stated in the PMMR? If not, when did it restart or will it restart? Thank you for the question. Yes, the program did restart ahead of the holiday season and they have been continuing to operate throughout the start of this year. In order to ensure that Mission: VetCheck doesn't get paused again, what do we need to do? Is it a question of more volunteers or is it something else? Thank you for that question. I think that definitely we are open to any volunteers. We encourage you all to also participate. This is a program that can be done in the comfort of your own home. Um there's a training that you would just need to receive in order to be able to just have a basis of what the program is and does, but it's definitely something we open all volunteers to participate with us. >> How do people volunteer? So, they could get connected to our agency and then we would put them in touch with our executive director of mental health, who then will provide the trainings and being able to give more information about the timing of these sessions and things of that nature. And Council Member, um I I I thank you for that question because it further shows the the the work at DVS that we do have to do to further amplify this this program. I think and this is what I meant that I am looking into the system to do better outreaching at that and I and this is an opportunity to also work with the with with you all at the Veterans Committee um to to share this even amongst various other Council Members of how can we come together to to support to support this. So, um again, thank you for highlighting that. Uh let's talk about NYC VetConnect. Uh DVS links service members, veterans, survivors, caregivers, and military families to a range of services provided by various organizations, nonprofit, community groups, and government agencies all accessible through the NYC VetConnect platform. In the first four months of fiscal 2026, 1,046 veterans and family members were served through the VetConnect platform. That's a 14% decline when compared to the 1,218 individuals served in the same period in fiscal 2025. If you can say or if you're aware, why did the number of individuals served through VetConnect decline compared to last fiscal year? Thank you for that question. We believe that there has been the 14% decrease in the first four months of the fiscal year compared to last year just to the due to the fact of fluctuating based on the timing and the cycles. I think what we we is that a veteran is going to reach out sometimes in the last moment when they need that assistance or support and it is always changing and always fluctuating. So, what we what we're doing here is monitoring closely what those trends are and adopting our outreach strategies to match what those trends are and to see how we can increase that engagement even more, but we do believe that it's just a factor of timing. And further to add that a council member um that is something that I am further looking into as to how do we even like how do we do better reportage on that as well like whether it is that um I I would like to see what I I am diving into into this report further to to see as to as as to what is it that as DVS we do have to do um to ensure that we provide better data or services to to veterans. So, I just I want to flag that that I am looking into that. Is DVS facing any barriers in relation to using this platform or connecting with constituents? Anything we can do to help? Thank you for that question. That is something that we are working with our different subject matter experts internally to the agency on to ensure that services that they're providing or connecting our veterans to are as effective as possible as well as also reevaluating the organizations and groups that we work with that are referral partners on the VetConnect platform. I know you guys recently switched to updated VetConnect software. How's that going? Yes, and thank you thank you for for for flagging that too um from I know that when we as as a new commissioner I was looking into that system and that system was down for for some time period and that is what the team currently right now is working on to ensure that we did not that there was interrupted um interrupted services data per se, right? So, at the moment the team is making it's back up um but we are um I I'm working closely with the team to ensure that we don't that that we um are even in the future better prepare if this does happen like how do we make sure that there's no um data interrupted. So, that is one Thank you for flagging that because that was one of the major major major issues. However, again I we I always do like to take responsibility and say that there should always be a backup plan. So, that is what I'm working on right now. All right, I'm told uh a few folks are so bored with hearing me drone on with questions that they're actually knitting as they're watching us. So, uh I will uh turn it over to my colleague Council Member Wong who has a few more questions. Thank you, Chair. Um I just have a follow-up um um is my understanding that VA's goal is to be the legal guardian of veterans, but there are a lot of veterans out there that live alone and quite often they cannot make their own medical decisions. Uh how are you addressing those issues and how would that affect the work of DVS? Thank you for that question. So, this is an issue that we are monitoring very closely understanding that there are a lot of voices in the community whether that be for or against this policy and this is something that has recently came out within the last couple of weeks. So, for us it's us fully understanding the system, understanding what the community and advocates feel about the situation and then being able to act appropriately legislatively if it comes down to that. Okay, and my second question is that do do you um do you agree with my statement that DVS would be able to do more work well with more funding? Funding is always welcome. I would never say no to funding uh and and further is not just DVS Thank you thank you uh council member and it's not just for the DVS, but I this would help us amplify those groups that are on the ground. I want to make sure that they can get the support that they need to. So, um I I do hope that as an agency as we keep growing that that DVS does further fulfill into its mission to support those veteran groups and nonprofits that are doing the work. Okay, thank you. And a question that just text to me from my constituents. What positions is being removed in your fiscal year 27? So, at the moment we have 50 authorized positions. There has been no changes made in a uh in the agency regarding vacancies. We do have four vacancies, but I am still um I'm reevaluating um the the agency per se. I I I am learning about the agency first I and learn and speaking with the partners to have better understand too like our systems that I mean are the resources that we're providing or programs. So, that is an ongoing conversation. Okay, thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Chair. I I don't think you can have a conversation about what veterans are experiencing in this city without at least touching upon the issue of homelessness and housing and at the same time I think that's one of the great successes that DVS has had. 72 homeless veterans and family members received housing through the DVS veteran peer coordinator program in the first four months of fiscal 2026. That's an increase of 18% when compared to the same period last fiscal year when 61 placements were made. According to the PMMR this was achieved through collaboration with the Department of Homeless Services, Department of Social Services, New York City Housing Authority and community-based organizations as well as ongoing strategic outreach efforts DVS has made to property owners and brokers seeking to house veteran tenants. How were you guys able to achieve this 18% increase? Before I pass it to my colleague Nicole, I do want to take a moment to to amplify um individuals within the agency um uh specifically the executive director of housing and her team. She is a combat veteran um her story um is very powerful what she has been through as a as a woman veteran combat veteran and she takes great care of the each each person that she does connect with and I was when I did look into these numbers I could and again I I want to bring more of a the human side to it and then I'll pass it on to Nicole, but um this is this is someone that understands directly what veterans are going through because of what she went through and this is the type of care that that when you do have veterans who are working within DVS who are very culturally competent in order to to do this type of work and furthermore through through her work um it I want to amplify that in FY26 the first four months prevention aftercare was 578 uh veterans. Like that that that um services per se I want the main reiterate that services. So, I just that just shows that the work that the individual is doing, but also we ended up doing the whole count with uh we ended up doing the whole count with the five borough vets and we were able to see first hand and meet veterans that were homeless, but it it just it's it is it is very heartbreaking to see that. So, um I say this because of of the importance of putting that human side of how much there is care with housing department within DVS and this is why our numbers are increasing and we are placing veterans where they need to be um at. So, I'm going to pass this to Nicole. Thank you for the question and Chair to your point um when you mentioned earlier about our nine positions from the new needs request from last year. So, those positions did include additional housing specialist. So, with the team expanding on the housing side it allowed more of our team members to be in the shelters in alternate locations being able to help veterans everywhere. So, it's less of them just coming into our office or calling our phones, but now our team is being offensive and they're being out there in the communities in the shelters. So, the expansion of the team has helped with that increase as well. Commissioner, in your testimony you made the point that DVS does not duplicate the VA. I'm wondering if that's an opportunity for those of us that are policy makers and lawmakers. Where do you see the limits of the connector model for DVS? Are there areas where the city should be directly providing services instead of relying on referrals? Thank you for the question, council member. And that is what I as I speak with various veteran groups um I am listening to them on on what are the needs in the veteran community and what would be a great partnership is is to have um to have various other commissioners in line to also help them understand and I know this is perhaps a also this is where DVS does come in to provide a cultural competency because what is happening is that again any veteran issue just comes to DVS, right? But veteran issues are everywhere. It's even in the cultural. We have many veterans who are very interested in arts, who do great great work. Like for example, we have the film festival at DVS that we had last year and there were many veterans who were showcasing their story through that. So, in order for us to whether it is prevent duplication or to provide better services, it does require various support to work with various other agencies. And that is what I'm trying to have rebuilt those relationships, but I do want to work alongside with the veteran who for them to be able to tell their story and as to why this is important and um I mean, I'm just going to give an example. It just to give an example when it comes to um SBS at my old nonprofit, when it came to SBS, we did have a contract that focused specifically on on providing OSHA SST right cards. That is a card that so construction workers can work at on site. Um and it we were just required to do it in Spanish and that was part of our of our contract and we did that. What was happening was that as myself who was an enlisted soldier who was an NCO at the time, a sergeant, I had many soldiers under me and because they knew I worked at the organization that I did that I that I worked on and focused on workforce development, they they would say, "Can we also partake in this?" And I was like, "Absolutely. It's open to everyone. It's just in Spanish." So, I had many veteran soldiers that went into my organization even though it was not veteran designated per se, that would get these services also to be able to get to to be able to get their OSHA SST card so they could work in the construction site. I say this um to bring it back to this because often times even contracts don't realize that they are serving veterans and that's just an example of ways that we are missing the opportunity to to reach veterans or to have them self-identify. My final question um is somewhat related, which is if you could change one thing in the city's approach to serving veterans, what would it be? And related, how can the council help in that respect? Thank you for the question. Yeah, I am very grateful that you are chair of the veterans committee and that all of the individuals on the committee are also all of the council members are part of the of this committee because I I do I I've met with each one of you and I see the care that each one of you has towards veterans and I know often times veterans are overlooked and I think you perhaps did touch up on it early on that whether it is people think that that veterans are okay because they're they served, they're strong and and that is true, right? But I there does need to be further care because um we we veterans also need support. Um so so with that being said, I would like to continue having this partnership with you all a strong partnership as DVS and I think also the round tables that you held that were that you were listening to veterans directly, that is something very important. So, I do hope to see more of that, but furthermore is is for us to be able to work with various other commissioners so they can also become culturally competent on this, but also include um how do how do they also track veterans in their contracts because this will be also very important data to all of the um groups on the ground because that can help them understand what where they can provide services, what type of services are needed, but also for them to advocate whether it is for funding whether it comes from various other funders. I know at my old nonprofit, data was super important so I can advocate for funding for my organization. So, I want to make sure I guess to your point is building those strong relationships with various other city council members and commissioners. Well, thank you very, very much and I think the folks of the city are very, very lucky that you're fighting on behalf of veterans just as hard as you've been fighting as a uniform member of the military and just as you fought in the nonprofit sector for so many years. So, thank you for your testimony and for your service to the city and our country. Thank you, council member, and thank you all for giving us the opportunity to testify today and to all the groups here today. Thank you, Mr. Brody. Thank you, Ms. Orlando. All right. I am now going to open the hearing for public testimony. I will remind members of the public that this is a formal government proceeding and that decorum shall be observed at all times. As such, members of the public shall remain silent at all times. The witness table is reserved reserved for people who wish to testify. No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table. Further members of the public may not present audio or video recordings as testimony, but may submit transcripts of such recordings to the sergeant-at-arms for inclusion in the hearing record. If you wish to speak at today's hearing, please [snorts] fill out an appearance card with the sergeant-at-arms and wait to be recognized. When recognized, you will have 3 minutes to speak on today's hearing topic, which of course is the preliminary budget for DVS. We will hear all in-person testimony first, then turn to testimony on Zoom. If you have a written statement or additional written testimony you wish to submit for the record, please provide a copy of that testimony to the sergeant-at-arms. We will call the first panel in a moment. If you don't testify, then don't complain about what is or is not in the city's budget. Before we proceed, I also want to take a brief moment to acknowledge the passing of Chuck Norris. Many people knew him as an actor, a martial artist, a cultural icon, and frankly the subject of more jokes than just about anyone in modern history. But before all that, he was a veteran. He served in the United States Air Force and like so many veterans, he built the foundation of his life on discipline, service, and commitment to something greater than himself. It's easy to focus on the actor, the larger than life persona, Walker, Texas Ranger, but at his core, he was someone who wore the uniform of this country with a great deal of pride like so many do. And that's something we never lose sight of, especially on this committee. And we spend a lot of time talking about programs, budgets, and policies, but behind all that are individuals, people who served, people who sacrificed, people who went on to live full lives in many different ways. And Chuck Norris was one of those individuals. So, today as we continue the hearing, as we begin public testimony, I think it's appropriate that we pause, reflect, and honor not just his life, but his service. So, may he rest in peace and condolences to his family, his friends, and all of his fans. All right. We will now call the first panel. Ryan Graham from VFW District 1. Ashton Stewart from MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care. And Coco Culhane of the Veteran Advocacy Project. Come on up. It's wonderful to see all of you again. Thank you for being here. Thank you as always for being such a great advocate on behalf of our city's veterans. You're going to have 3 minutes to testify, but if you have remarks that exceed that, you're certainly welcome to submit them in writing and no one minds, I might sneak in an extra minute or two for you guys as well. Ryan, we'll begin with you. Uh good morning. Yep, good morning. Actually, fun fact, you mentioned Chuck Norris. My father, my well, he's been gone for a long time. He was also US Air Force veteran, security forces what they call now, back then it was air police, but he actually worked with Chuck Norris. They were stationed together in Korea in the late '50s. Close to the mic though, if you would, Ryan. We don't want to miss a an anecdote about Chuck Norris or otherwise. >> [laughter] >> Good morning uh Thank you, Chairman Moran, and the rest of the City Council Veterans Committee for this opportunity to speak. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge Operation Epic Fury and the troops currently deployed in support of combat operations, including those families who have someone deployed along with those who have paid ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States. It has been nearly a quarter quarter century since the terror attacks of 9/11 and the start of the global war on terror. And we stand and we continue to send troops into harm's harm's way across the globe. To introduce myself, I'm Ryan Graham. I'm representing the largest combat veterans organization throughout the nation and globe. The Veterans of Foreign Wars as a state vice chairman of the VFW Department of New York Legislative Committee, as well as a legislative chairman for VFW District 1 here in New York City. And I am also here as an advocate and chairman of the New York City Veterans Advisory Board. Also beside me, well, he's going to speak. Ashton is also the secretary of the VAB for the city. Since its inception just over 10 years ago to include its predecessor, the mayor's office of veterans affairs, the New York City Department of Veterans Services has been an agency tasked with working to assist the nearly quarter million veterans calling the five boroughs their home. But the agency and and its staff is severely underfunded. Out of the 6 116.8 billion total current city budget, DVS is allocated just 6.6 million. As Council Member Won, um has said, that is a drop in a bucket. It's like 0.00005 uh percent. From an operational and programming viewpoint, the needs of the agency and community partners is well below the necessary funding to operate at a feasible and desirable amount. As we know, New York City is suffering through a large, difficult housing crisis. And although a smaller demographic of the New York City population, the veteran community is also going through the same cycle of potential housing insecurity along with potential homelessness. The housing services with DVS have been seeing an influx of these numbers as well, enough to overwhelm their staff and agency. Transition services is another key unit within DVS, assisting service members and their family members with the necessary guidance and resources to navigate the civilian sector. Transitioning service members and their family members face a less than optimal environment when they leave military service. Without the correct number of resources, these service members and their families face instability on various fronts. These are just a few of the divisions within the New York City Department of Veterans Services in dire need of funding to bring this agency to to its full capacity. Furthermore, continuous funding of important programs such as the Vallone Veterans Initiative, which was mentioned earlier, which I'm actually the project manager on that, uh is important to the veterans community. Since just last year, July 1st, the Vallone Veterans Initiative, in partnership with the state VFW, has processed 261 claims up until the end of February 2026. So, that's just the claims numbers. The money that obviously the the cycle, how long it takes for a claim to come back, we we start seeing a little bit of it. It's it's definitely in the millions by now. Initiatives and programs such as this are important investments into into the New York City veterans community. With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 a few months on the horizon, as well as the homecoming parade for our post-9/11 veterans, and a monument about to break ground in Queens remembering New York City's post-9/11 veterans lost on the battlefield, now more than ever can we honor the contract for our fellow veterans and neighbors who risked their lives for something greater than themselves, not just as veterans, but as New Yorkers. It is recommended that the New York City Department of Veterans Services budget be increased to 15 to 20 million to be able to further its mission to the New York City veterans community. As I've always said in the past, we have enough funding to send troops to the battlefield, but yet we always just don't seem to have enough money once they come home. Um and I'm going to add one little tidbit on the housing side, obviously the nature of my job, um working for the VFW in partnership with the council. Um I I'm I'm going to say on a on a once or twice a week on average, I get emails from different city council offices. Obviously, we don't deal with anything housing related. Uh I send it over to uh the wonderful Donae, who's sitting right behind me. Um they're overwhelmed. I've seen it, her, one of her predecessors, Lamar, when he testified in front of the Veterans Advisory Board last year, when a prior chairwoman, Mercedes, asked, uh what do you need? He said, I need more money. I need more people. And and that that's I just wanted to touch on those two parts, the transition services, which I know Nicole's been running point for the agency, and Donae uh on housing. Uh and those are just two of the divisions within DVS that um they they definitely can use a big uh oomph, so to speak. Yeah, Ryan, thank you first of all for your testimony and especially for your work with the VFW and with the Vallone Veterans Initiative. Uh we've been lucky enough to have uh these uh VSOs in our office on a monthly basis, including you, and I could say firsthand how helpful you personally have been, as well as your compatriots who've been in our office. Quick question though, based on what you said. Um I think, you know, you're not going to get an argument from me that we should increase the uh veteran services budget to 20 million dollars in order to improve the actual lives of veterans. Let's say we were to go from 6.6 million to 20 million dollars. What would you like to see that money spent on? Where do we get the most bang for our buck in terms of improving outcomes? Uh circling back to I was saying uh before, uh definitely really expanding out um the housing unit. Um we we know housing's a number one issue in New York City, and and it's heartbreaking. I've I've I've me personally, I've been been there. I've been couch surfing on a few occasions before I went in, before I after I got out. Hell, I got out right after the market took a crash in 2008. Um and and it's not a great feeling. So, that's why when I see those emails, I I always remember what the previous director for the housing unit, Lamar, said. He said, we need more people. Because I we we saw their numbers, I think they had a log of like backlog of like four months. And we literally have people coming to us with like they're literally about to be homeless tomorrow. But definitely the housing side, um transition services, that's another big one. I know uh she can correct me if I'm wrong. I know Nicole was handling transition services. She she wears a lot of different caps. Um the first 6 to 12 months, I'd probably even say longer, is very vital for a veteran. Um we're we're we're talking all all all it can take is a matter of a week, everything goes wrong for you, and they might be like, that's the end of it. I'm done. And I think you you get what I'm saying. Um obviously, we always see the two 22 a day, I think it's become more symbolic. Um that's also heartbreaking. Close friend of mine from Ozone Park served in uh Afghanistan, Iraq. He committed suicide. His wife came home and found him dead. Um we don't need to see any more of that. That's why the transition services side can help out, not just for the veterans but for uh the families. They're just as important. Uh the spouses, the children. Um like there there's a lot of services out there that DVS can provide. Um I can't speak to some of the other divisions that I I already know from knowing a lot of people in DVS, they wear diff- they wear several different caps. And I know I've never worked in government. >> Covers. Huh? Several different covers. Yeah, like this cover. But the one thing I could say, I come from a corporate background, Fortune 500, aerospace, now nonprofit. Well, I've been doing nonprofit for free for years, drives my wife nuts. Uh she always asks me like, how much did you get paid? Anytime I come home from my post uh or anything, but uh it's we the work needs to be done, but um >> [sighs] >> ultimately, uh burnout's a thing. I've seen it um in the past 20 plus years I've been working, and when you have people doing too many things, that leads to retention issues. We want to avoid that with DVS. Uh expand out their capabilities, and especially with the 10-year mark coming up, now's the time to do it. Let's And and there's a certain person whom I heard it from him, uh Joe Bello, a while back, and I always use it. Handshakes and pancakes. I think we're beyond that now. Let's go into something that is going to bring back dividends. And the reason why I also brought up the Vallone Initiative, um that's going to be money going right back into the community. Things like that. And then the recently passed 100% bill by State Senator Joe Addabbo, um that's going to keep veterans in the state. If yeah, they're veterans going to save $10,000 on their property taxes, then it's going to go right back into the economy. So, it's we'd rather them stay here and spend that money than go to Florida, Virginia, Texas. Yeah, I'm I'm going to say it, New York City and New York State is the best place in the world. But we don't want them to leave. We want them to come here, spend that money, keep it here. Thank you, Ryan. Appreciate it. Uh at this point, I want to first acknowledge my colleague uh Council Member James Gennaro, who is joining us on Zoom. Uh we're very lucky to have the added benefit of his wisdom on Zoom in terms of cumulative service. He is the longest-serving City Council Member we have, very much kind of the dean of the City Council. But uh it's unfortunate for him that he's on Zoom rather than in person because of my continuing efforts to woo him to join the Italian Caucus. He is going to miss out on these St. Joseph's cakes that I brought in with the expressed desire to persuade him to join the Italian Caucus today. So, uh Councilman Gennaro, that is to your detriment. But uh we're also very fortunate to be joined by a real warrior, uh not only for his service in the Navy, but a real warrior on behalf of veterans and veterans health care needs, and that is uh Ashton Stewart of MJH Health System. Mr. Stewart, hello. Well, Chair Marano, thank you so much for that intro. My goodness. Um Ashton Stewart, uh Veterans Program Manager with MJHS. It's an honor to be here today, and I thank the the chair Marano and members of the Veterans Committee. Um, recognize recognizing that veterans have unique needs at the end of life. MJHS Hospice, a not-for-profit healthcare agency, created a clinical care program grounded in compassionate listening, trauma-informed care, respectful inquiry, and acknowledgement of military service. Our veteran support program is funded by a grant, which has been reduced for the second time in 2 years. This comes at a time when in 2020 it was reported that over 70% of New York City veterans are over the age of 65, highlighting the urgency of our work. This urgency is further underscored by the data recently shared in the VA annual veteran suicide prevention report, which shows veteran suicide in New York State surged to its highest rate in 20 years. At MJHS, we see the value of upholding a We Honor Veterans program. As a VSO, our work has exceeded expectations as we continue to strive to connect with veterans with supportive services from each of the three tiers of the VA, the Veterans Benefits Administration, the National Cemetery Administration, and the Veterans Health Administration. Many of the veterans we serve are unaware of the services that are available to them, services that can foster a more peaceful end of life, and MJHS Hospice helps these families receive the support they need. In 2025, our award-winning We Honor Veterans program assisted 323 veteran households and provided 167 total referrals addressing a wide range of aging veteran and survivor needs, including approved DIC claims resulting in significant financial stability for surviving spouses and children, including monthly tax-free benefits of over $1,600 per month and retroactive lump-sum payments exceeding $10,000 in some cases. These benefits enable families to remain housed and manage funeral and medical expenses. I was fortunate to have secured the veteran initiative before when I secured it for SAGE Vets while serving as a program manager, and we had the initiative between 2019 and 2022. MJHS is primed to be a responsible and responsive partner to the Committee on Veterans as we continue to grow as a leader in the veteran space. Earlier this month, MJHS was invited to take part in a round table discussion with Commissioner Ysenia Matos and her team at the New York City Department of Veterans Services and several other veteran advocates. MJHS presented at the most recent DVS Mental Health Coalition webinar, and we continue to collaborate constructively to meet the needs of veterans we connect with in the community. I am actively serving as secretary in New York City Advisory Board and the State Veterans Nursing Home at St. Albans, where I'm able to share trends that we see with veterans receiving hospice services. MJHS humbly requested the Committee on Veterans invest in supporting and sharing our resource the Veteran Support Playbook with city agencies and veteran Uh, thank you so much. with veteran advocates. The Veteran Support Playbook pocket card for clinicians was designed by the MJHS team in collaboration with the New York State Department of Veterans Services. They are helping to distribute the card across the state with 4,000 distributed thus far since November, and we would be honored to collaborate with the city DVS at the local level and to co-host a continuing medical education webinar this fall to further promote this essential resource. We meet far too many veterans who have been admitted into the MJHS Hospice program who have slipped through the cracks. Supporting veterans requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. Sharing the Veteran Support Playbook with more clinicians in New York City is an important step, and we respectfully ask the Committee on Veterans to consider investing in us because I want to be the squeaky wheel. I know that MJHS HS is requesting $50,000 from the FY2027 Veteran Services Initiative under the Veterans Community Development line. What did MJHS Hospice receive in the fiscal year 2026 Veteran Services Initiative budget? While we did apply last year, we we were not granted any support. Um, we we also applied for smaller grants from several council members in addition to the 50,000 to try to make up for the 75 that we're looking for total to hire a part-time person. I've had really great luck with volunteers over the last year who have helped tremendously, but they can only do so much. We need somebody to not only oversee that, but also do more boots-on-the-ground outreach. On April 8th, on the anniversary of DVS, we're we're going to do a postmortem ceremony where somebody presented a American flag on the birthday of the the recently passed veteran to his wife and family. This is something very unique. Um, but we we need to do more of these because when we connect with families that way, we learn so much more about the history of the veteran, and sometimes we can uncover a bill eligibility for further support with DIC claims, or sometimes if it's a service-connected death, we can get some of the reimbursement for funeral expenses up to $2,000. Um, but it's just like we we're so recognized now that we're we're getting called upon to do presentations and to collaborate, and that's taking more time away from me connecting with families one-on-one, and I want to make sure that that doesn't fall short because there's just so many families that need that connection. There's Congressional Gold Medals that we found out that people are eligible for from Merchant Marines who served during World War II. We connected a Montford Point Marine family to get a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously, of course, but these things are so meaningful to families, and it's about time that they get the recognition that they so deserved when they were here, but if we can do something posthumously, we're we're all for it. We're all in. Well, please keep me posted on on all of that. Thank you for your testimony and the great work that you're doing. My my lone disappointment in your testimony is that you did not end or begin it by saying beat Army, which I was kind of >> [laughter] >> Beat Army. Uh, at this point, I want to welcome Coco Culhane, who is with the Veteran Advocacy Project and does terrific work there. Hi, thank you for your time today. So, instead of I have 13 pages with footnotes, so I'm going to skip reading that. Just wanted to touch on a few points. Obviously, I think everyone in this room is in agreement that there need to be increases. Just want to point out with Yes, I think they've their staff has enlarged by like 15 people with a really similar personnel budget. And I think part of that growth is the claims team, which to speak to your question about being duplicative, could not possibly be more needed. Um, people are waiting months and months to get services. VSOs are closing down. Numbers are dwindling, so every single claims rep is so important. And you know, you don't need a lawyer, you need a rep. So, um, some claims you need, but so so important, which leads to another point which in my testimony about how many laws have been passed asking DVS to do various things, and no one really paying attention and following up. There are so many, you know, a peer hotline. I mean, I can't even there's just so many things they've been asked to do that no one's followed up on, and I don't know that they're doing. I don't think they are. Um, and with the claims team, there's actually legislation, local law 214 in 2018 said they were not to do these claims. So, I'm not arguing that they should not be doing them, but there's a law saying they shouldn't, right? So, we need to be paying attention to that. We need to be understanding what we're asking them, and we need to fully fund it. Um, their claims team I would argue needs a lot more funding so they can hire supervisors and and really be in all of the communities and reach different veterans around the city. Just to touch on the federal dollars and discharge upgrades that we do in partnership with DVS, can't state how important it is to bring these federal dollars into the city. You're talking about less strain on city systems. It's healthcare, it's housing subsidies, education. You know, the GI Bill housing allowance right now is 5,000 a month in New York City zip codes. There's also employment training with stipends. You know, it's just it's actually life-changing if we can get a veteran in. And while there are a lot of changes with privatization and you know, a shift towards private community care, where it research shows that lower-income veterans in particular are hurt by this. They lose the wrap-around care. Um, but any way you look at it, we as you know, locally need to support veterans. We need to make sure our medical providers are culturally competent, that they're trained to recognize these issues. You know, we partner with Community Healthcare Network, and we want, you know, their social workers to note someone who's in their late 60s and has diabetes was in Vietnam, they should be getting compensation for that. Um, and if I could just >> Please. add um, that Sorry, those claims and then mental health that we need to do more. Um, Mission VetCheck I understand has won awards and it's not a mental health program though, right? It's it's it's outreach, it's checking on people, it's volunteers. It's not mental healthcare, it's not services. And so, as terrific as it is, I don't want us to point to that as if, you know, that's fulfilling all of the local laws that have been passed that the City Council has asked, you know, with last year's mental health roadmap or 2 years ago, I guess. Um And all of these things, you know, where no one's asking DVS to deliver the services, but to be the connector. And to make sure that they're funded and able to to complete those uh tasks and mandates. Thank you for your time. Thank you, as usual, Ms. Colhane. The only thing more impressive than your intellect is your passion and your skills as an orator. Thank you very, very much for being here. I hope you'll submit all 13 pages of your testimony, and I promise that I and the members of this committee will review it thoroughly. Thanks very much. >> Thank you. At this point, I'd like to thank you all, three of you. I'd like to welcome our next panel, Bill Gross from SAGE, Charlotte Martin from the Intrepid Museum, and the inimitable Joe Bello from New York Metro Vets. As Rod Roddy would say, come on down. All right. We will, when you're ready, begin with Mr. Gross. Thank you, and good morning, Chairwoman and members of the council. My name is Bill Gross. I am the Chief Services Officer at SAGE, which is the nation's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults. It's a pleasure to follow Ashton Stewart, a SAGE Vets alum. Since our founding in 1978, SAGE has worked tirelessly to advocate for policies, programs that empower LGBTQ+ elders, ensuring that they can age with dignity and security and support. For LGBTQ+ older veterans, the military's long history of anti-gay, anti-trans policies, followed by the discriminatory don't ask, don't tell law, has created many barriers between them and their federal VA benefits. This has contributed to LGBTQ+ veterans facing stigma and significantly higher levels economic and housing instability. For instance, rates of homelessness for trans veterans are three times that of cisgender veterans. LGBTQ+ veterans are four times more likely to face financial challenges. Through our SAGE Vets program, we help LGBTQ+ older veterans navigate the VA to get the benefits they deserve. We offer support groups, social activities, workshops, and perhaps most importantly, we provide assistance with discharge upgrades for those who received other than honorable discharges due to their sexual orientation or their gender identity. Additionally, our SAGE Center network, four centers throughout the boroughs, serves as a safety net for LGBTQ+ elders, including veterans. We provide programming that reduces isolation, improve access to services by offering benefits counseling, legal and financial planning, educational workshops, health and wellness programs, support groups, and nutritious meals. These vital services are made possible from our partnership with the New York City Council. In fiscal '27, SAGE requested the restoration of our New York City Council funding at fiscal '26 levels, along with additional support to sustain and enhance our vital services. Thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Gross. At this point, I want to acknowledge and welcome my colleague, Council Member Linda Lee, who, in addition to representing the great borough of Queens, is also the chair of the City Council Finance Committee. And your eyes do not deceive you, she is on the cover of this week's City and State magazine, where there is a delightfully accurate profile of her skills as a public servant. Welcome, Chairwoman Lee. Thank you for being here. >> [laughter] >> Mr. Gross, thank you for your testimony. You alluded to your work with LGBTQ veterans who may have gotten a less than honorable discharge. I'm wondering if you can speak to how large that population is, the pre-don't ask, don't tell or or the the pre-change in service in military policy with respect to LGBT members, and the when they were not able to serve openly. How many New Yorkers that you've helped fit into that category? Yes, thank you, Chairwoman. I'm happy to get you the specific numbers, research that. I know that amongst our network of over 600 veterans that we are in contact with through SAGE Vets, there's a substantial portion, and a substantial portion that we successfully navigated through the through the service upgrade, discharge upgrade procedure. But I can get you the specific number. I'd appreciate it. Thank you very much. At this point, I want to welcome Charlotte Martin from the Intrepid Museum. Ms. Martin. Thank you for holding today's hearing. My name is Charlotte Martin, Director of Access Initiatives at the Intrepid Museum, where I have the privilege of overseeing the museum's veterans access initiative. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the generous support of the City Council. Our programs would not be possible without your support. So, thank you to Chairwoman and the committee members and staff for your efforts to connect veterans with one another and with cultural resources like the Intrepid Museum. Our mission is to advance the understanding of the intersection of history and innovation in order to honor our heroes, educate the public, and inspire future generations. As part of this mission, the museum serves as New York's cultural home for veterans and military families, welcoming more than 14,000 veterans each year through free admission and programs that foster connection, purpose, and community. Now in its 11th year, the Veterans Access Initiative has grown into a comprehensive veteran informed model of engagement that supports reintegration through cultural participation, peer connection, and sustained civic involvement. The initiative reflects consistent growth, measurable impact, and trusted relationships across New York's veteran community. At our cornerstone veterans only program, Intrepid After Hours, veterans of all branches, service areas, and backgrounds explore the museum, get a behind-the-scenes experience or workshop, and then connect over a catered dinner. For the past year, we've had a veteran representative of the local VA system available during dinner, and we have renewed our relationship with the New York City Department of Veterans Services to also have a veteran DVS representative at upcoming programs, available to answer questions and share resources. We have heard from veterans how meaningful it has been to learn about resources and opportunities from other veterans in a non-clinical setting. Several have gone on to become volunteers at the Intrepid Museum and other organizations. Veteran volunteers consistently describe Intrepid as the place where they regain purpose while contributing to civic life. This connection also extends to families. Active military families have an opportunity to explore the city, and recently returned veterans have a way to spend time and reconnect with loved ones. The museum's exhibitions and tours give families an entry point to talk about their veterans service. Military and veteran families also receive free and priority admission to museum festivals, family days, and public programs, with access to smaller sub-events like lounges or astronaut meet and greets, where they can connect without the stress of crowds. We have an ongoing partnership with Exit 12 Dance Company to host therapeutic workshops for veterans and family members, culminating in a public performance on Intrepid this year on May 29th. This work is informed by our wonderful Council of Veteran Advisors, several of whom are here today. Increased funding for the Veterans Community Development Initiative will help us sustain and extend our impact. We aim to expand our offsite and virtual programming at VA hospitals, veterans homes, and memory care centers, serving isolated veterans. These funds will also help ensure that our programs are accessible to veterans with disabilities, with captioning, assistive listening systems, and after-hours programs. We will be able to continue to strengthen our veterans of color, thank you, and other historically underrepresented veteran communities through expanded partnerships. This investment ensures the Veterans Access Initiative continues to operate as a citywide resource without meeting growing demand and expanding access, rather than limiting participation due to capacity constraints. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Martin. And as someone whose office funds the Intrepid Museum, I can attest first hand to the great educational work that goes on there. But you clearly built a model that connects veterans in a way, and this is one of the themes of this whole hearing, in a way that government often struggles to do so. If the city wanted to replicate what you're doing at Intrepid in communities across the five boroughs, what would that look like, and what what do you think it would take to scale it? Oh, wow. Thank you for asking that, and thank you again for your support for this initiative as well as our CASA programs and others. Um you know, I think a lot of this came through um identifying what about our organization is special, what's different, what would appeal to people to come here. We have a content connection, but we also are not a traditional veteran space, so those who might not already be connected to traditional veteran spaces and organizations might find it intriguing or feel welcome in a way they they not in other ones. And so, for us it's really about building relationships with the city, with city services like DVS and the council, as well as others. Like we've worked a lot with Sage Vets. We've worked a lot with others in this room to be that bridge. And we find that a lot of the way that people that veterans who come to our programs find resources is through casual conversation in addition to the resource tables that we have available. Our veteran interpid after hours finishes with dinner. And the number of times I've heard from veterans there that they learned about a new program or a new resource from someone they just met there. Not through a formal presentation, but through this informal gathering of people of different experience and backgrounds and connections to these services has made it a big difference. Thank you very much. Mr. Joe Bello. Okay. Chairwoman Ano, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify. As always, it's often said that the city's budget is more than a financial plan. It's a statement of values. It reflects what we prioritize, what we invest in, and ultimately what we choose to support. In his testimony, the city controller Mark Levine warned that recurring city expenses are increasingly outpacing recurring revenues, creating structural imbalances that threaten long-term fiscal stability. His office also projected widening budget gaps in the coming years, underscoring the need for responsible fiscal planning and clear prioritization. At the same time, the administration has been proposing across-the-board reductions requiring agencies to cut 1.5% this fiscal year and 2.5% in the next. For an agency as small as DVS, these reductions have an outsized impact. DVS is one of the smallest agencies in city government, and even its current staffing levels do not fully reflect its authorized capacity. This places significant strain on staff while limiting the agency's ability to effectively serve veterans across the five boroughs. For several years, my concerns have remained consistent. Staff taking on responsibilities beyond their original roles, which we heard today. A small agency expected to deliver citywide citywide impact. And ongoing challenges with communication and transparency. These concerns are not anecdotal. They're reflected in the council's own analysis of the agency's performance. Key service indicators show significant inconsistencies. The utilization of the Vet Connect platform has declined in the current fiscal year compared to the same period last year. In other areas, performance targets appear to be set well below actual incomes, raising questions about how success is defined and measured. These fluctuations make it difficult to assess whether programs are truly effective or simply being reported in a way that obscures performance. The council's budget report suggests that DVS is making progress with limited resources. However, the controller's audit raises more fundamental concerns. Whether the data underlying that progress is reliable, whether service is being delivered consistently, and whether the department is meeting even its basic operational responsibilities. As the administration is reducing DVS funding, it must also be honest about what the agency can realistically accomplish under its current mandate and resource constraint. Additionally, as Coco Culhane mentioned, transparency concerns are also troubling when it comes to compliance with local laws that have been passed, including Local Law 38, the mental health roadmap, and as discussed at the last hearing, Local Law 37. These laws were intended to improve coordination accountability and transparency. When reporting deadlines pass without explanation, it undermines not only the legislation, but also the trust of the veterans community. Recent findings from the controller's office further reinforce these concerns. These issues are not merely administrative. They directly impact whether veterans are able to assess timely assistance and other critical services. When intake and response systems break down, the entire service delivery model is compromised. Finally, the audit found that DVS failed to submit several legally required reports to the city council and the mayor, only doing so after auditors intervened. At a time when the city is being asked to make difficult financial decisions, these findings raise fundamental questions about whether existing resources are being effectively managed and whether additional investments would translate into improved outcomes. Finally, funding issues. Over the past two fiscal years, the council has allotted more than 540,000 to the Paul Vallone initiative. This funding embedded a legacy veteran service organization every council office. But I have to point out there was no request for proposal was ever issued. And a significant portion of the funds were eventually redirected elsewhere without any publicly available data demonstrating impact to wit New York City Cares. Paul was a dear friend of mine, and I believe he would be disappointed by how this funding is being managed. If DVS intends to continue handling disability claims, the agency needs to provide data for demonstrating its effectiveness. To date, the department has not publicly reported any claim success rate since 2020. The city is effectively funding initiatives with taxpayer dollars without publicly available data demonstrating its either outcomes or impact. Meanwhile, the council's veterans initiative, which supports critical services such as homeless prevention, job placement, legal assistant, mental health services, community development, which you've heard from here, has not seen a meaningful increase in years and remains insufficiently funded despite growing needs. For many years, DVS has highlighted its accomplishments, yet the veterans community continues to experience the same underlying challenges. Limited transparency inconsistent communication, and a lack of clear outcomes across clear clear programs. As the council ends fiscal year 2017 budget negotiations, fiscal constraints cannot be used as an excuse to neglect veterans and their families. Nor is the solution simply to increase funding or even maintaining the status quo. The real challenge will be to ensure that resources are aligned with outcomes, oversight is strengthened, and every dollar that is being deployed effectively to serve those who served. Without a lot without Without that alignment, we risk continuing the cycle of underperformance, limited transparency, and missed opportunities to support veterans and their families. Thank you. First of all, thank you, Mr. Bello, for such comprehensive and thoughtful even if I may disagree with a couple of your conclusions. I can't say that you didn't give us a great deal to think about. Couple of quick questions for you. And just because we have a couple a few other people that testify, try to keep your answers brief if you can. The accountability question that you raised. You're raising serious concerns about inconsistent metrics and even overstated service data. Do you believe the council is currently getting an accurate picture of DVS performance? Yes or no? No. >> [snorts] >> In terms of the controller's audit, right? The controller's audit found that 27% of housing assistance requests were not responded to within five days. In your view, is that primarily a resource problem, a management problem, or both? I wouldn't know. I don't I'm not I'm not inside of DVS to know what goes on in the housing unit. Lastly, the before we before we could talk about increasing funding, can you point to one specific DVS program where additional funding has clearly led to measurable improvements in outcomes of veterans? No. All right. I appreciate your testimony very much. Well, actually, before I let this panel go, Council Member Lee, chair of the Finance Committee, has a question. No, just more wanted to acknowledge some of your comments because the whole point of why I when I was chair of mental health wanted to include veterans was so we could get better data. And Paul Vallone was a very dear friend of mine, too, for many, many years in Queens. And, you know, one of the things that was surprising to me when I joined the council was, you know, Queens has one of the highest numbers of veterans, but there's such a lack of services and coordination. And I have um you know, that So, that was something that was important for us to try to dig into. So, I appreciate the fact that And you're right, the reports do need to get to us. And just one comment I wanted to make also on the initiative funding. So, interestingly, there's a bunch of council members on, you know, the budget side who are really interested in looking at um what metrics and data are we not asking for that we should be asking for? Understanding also that a lot of the nonprofits have constraints. Like I come from that side, too, and I was the one that had to do all these reports in the past. And so, understanding that it's a lot of work, how do we get better data though to make sure that we're understanding if these dollars are being used effectively? So, we're actually taking a look, and this is not an overnight project cuz we have over 180 initiatives on the on the council, with with actually less than a billion dollars that we control on the, you know, funding side cuz most of it is with the administration. So, I will say that we're trying to take a deeper dive and looking at um do some of these initiatives make sense? Should we change maybe the scope? Should we change what it is that we're asking for? And we're trying to do it with some of the older initiatives that have been around for a while, but then also working our way through. So, it's obviously a long-term project, but I just wanted to say that it is something that a small group of us on the on the council are trying to work on together. If if I may be real quick. I worked in the council as legend budget under Amanda. And one of the things going back to the veterans initiative is that there really does need to be a reset with that initiative cuz for example Sage is sitting in the legal services. They should be in the community development search. And then one of the things that we saw happen over the last several years was former Councilman Holden started kind of siphoning money from different groups to fund other groups. So in essence you were literally adding 3 lb into a 2 lb bag. And so I think there needs to be kind of a reset with the with the initiative itself to take a look at see who's who's where and doing what. Right. No, totally. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Have a good weekend. All right. This point I will be welcoming our final in-person panel consisting of Timothy Peña of the Veterans Justice Project. Mr. Peña. We'll move to our Zoom testimony if no one else has any in-person testimony. If anyone else has in-person testimony, please fill out one of these cards and give it to the Sergeant-at-Arms. Thank you. Mr. Peña, you can begin when you're ready. Finally. My name is Timothy Peña. I run an organization here in New York City called Veterans Justice Project and the Forgotten Veteran. I am a disabled veteran for PTSD. Um suffered while I was serving in the Persian Gulf during the Iranian hostage siege in 1980. Uh in fact I was there for the rescue attempt that claimed uh the lives of eight Marines. Um I'd also like to um state that I came to New York City uh after completing doing a study on incarceration and suicide amongst veterans. Um at the time and I still believe this despite uh the increases in suicide, New York does a great job especially with uh criminally charged veterans in their veterans courts. Um and one of the reasons why you have such a low suicide rate compared to other states in this country. Um Just a quick shout-out. We're talking about our communities and our um financing. Um you know last week we did a hope count with DVS. I was there. Um that day JP Morgan Chase was kind enough to donate 288 hygiene kits for veterans in this city. No one has mentioned that at all. So I will go on record to personally thank JP Morgan and Chase Bank for stepping up for our veterans. I'm here today because what is happening to honorably discharged veterans in New York City is not a failure of resources. It is a failure of oversight and accountability. In 2024 the New York City Department of Investigation issued a report identifying serious deficiencies within the Department of Homeless Services. That report should have triggered immediate aggressive oversight especially for veterans placed in their care. Instead it was acknowledged and then set aside. Today veterans are being placed in secluded violent Minka shelters under the justification of mental health stabilization. In reality many of these environments are re-traumatizing. Veterans are isolated, exposed to unsafe conditions, and denied access to veteran specific vet services and pathways to housing. Even more concerning non-veteran case workers are withholding transitional services under what they call tough love. Let me be clear this is not care. This is punishment. I spent 5 months at Borden Avenue when I came when I chose New York as a veteran who served this country. I chose New York City because ultimately it saved my life. I would not be in alive if I had stayed in Phoenix. That's that's it. Um instead of a um supportive grant per diem program funded by the VA I was sent to a violent mental health shelter in Long Island City and then told I had to provide my own transportation to my VA appointments and forced into um drug rehab as they called it. There is no alternative pathway for homeless veterans to access VA transitional services outside of DHS. Borden Avenue is the only one and as um Council Member Wong noted uh the last time, there are no services for women veterans through the VA in this program in transitional services in this city. I don't understand why we are putting such an emphasis on self-identification when we need to start looking at reasons for veterans to want to step up and be proud enough to say that they are veterans. Um Council members, you both have a flyer from the Stand Down. I was there last week. That was my sixth time at a Stand Down. And um I I think um they do they served 1,600 veterans in 2 days with some something like 100 vendors that showed up. These are the types of activities that bring veterans together to their community um as well as to other veterans. We feel proud when when this type of thing is done. Council Member Morano, you do this in Staten Island. Hats off to you. You're the only one that's doing that in the manner that you are putting it together where you have outside organizations in the community who are actually showing up who are actually coming in to serve the veterans. I would personally be honored if you would consider my input my resources uh to very successful Stand Downs in Arizona um to help get this one a one here uh expanded to uh be more inclusive. I'm asking as you look through the the brochures that I gave you take take note of the fact that Institute for Community Living which is responsible for feeding the veterans honorably discharged veterans many of them Vietnam they're administered with feeding us over there. That budget $2.20. Their fundraiser in May is requesting $750 a plate. That's 340 meals. 3 months. And I I don't get it. I don't understand why these why they are getting $5 plus a year to take care of us, to make sure that we're healthy, to make sure that we're not killing ourselves, to make sure that we're not overdosing and dying in the shelters, making sure that we have access to the resources and the services that we've heard about today. I don't get it. So I'm asking again because I've done this before. DHS needs to be investigated. They need to be audited. They need to be held accountable and ICL needs to do as be done the same. Um uh Commissioner Park is out. She and um Jody Rudin from ICL who's Jody Rudin makes nearly a half a million dollars a year. And it's ridiculous that I come from I come from a state and an area that has such strong grant per diem programs, such strong VA programs, and a little less on the community. I come into a place where this this city loves its veterans. Loves the veterans. But yet I'm put into a violent shelter. So thank you very much for your time. Mr. Peña, very quickly and thank you for your testimony. I'm sorry for what you've gone through and I thank you for your service to the country. If you could change one policy tomorrow to create a real pathway out of homelessness for veterans, what would it be? What what what do we need to be doing? What do we need to be focused on that we're not? As a city council, I would yank the contract from Department of Homeless Services immediately. And give it to somebody like Tunnels to Towers or Catholic Charities or any of the other nonprofits out there that are that are able to do that. New York City is the only Department of Homeless Services that runs a veterans program in this country. The only one. So, you argue in your testimony and I will look through all this literature. Thank you. That the current system is more of a trap than a pathway. What would a properly functioning system look like from intake to permanent housing for a veteran? Um one and and namely uh I was told at the VA that the criteria to get into our VA the grant per diem program is a program established by Congress that pays organizations anywhere from I think it's around $72 a day to provide eligible veterans with resources and services to help them transition into the community. Board and Avenue is a MICA shelter. Mental health chemical abuse. So you can't get access to services unless you violate your privacy and admit to either mental illness or chemical abuse. We all know that they do not accept people with mental health issues with NYPD, FDNY. So, if you want a job ultimately with one of those agencies, you have you can't be in this program because that's the criteria that they've placed upon that. So, first off if you want to keep it a MICA shelter, get the veterans out of there and put them in a hotel, put them anywhere where they can get access to the VA and not have to go through um case worker um with you know who is more concerned with keeping their job than the success of the veterans. And then get them in front of the agencies and the organizations that are actually going to help them. DVS has a problem with um we've all heard budget. It's made a lot that dollar goes a lot further when they're in an environment where they're not butting heads with people in the in the shelters. We have no access to outside organizations. We had last year or I think it was last year, $10,000 in donations was basically dropped off at the front door of Borden Avenue. An NDA NDA was signed. Let us let organizations come in, see the veterans, meet the veterans, get to know them. That's that's community engagement. You're going to have a much robust success. The the the Mana House, which is one of the main sponsors of the Stand Down and where I worked as a front desk clerk for a year and a half boasts anywhere between 85 and a 90% success successful exit rate. That's compared to 60% for Borden Avenue. 20% of the veterans who leave Borden Avenue, we never hear from again. And you know, frankly um it's insulting when you have to uh because of the nature of the facility um I had to sleep 5 months next to guys who were smoking cigars, playing music, smoking meth. We had um three veterans die in 11 days. Two from overdose and one from a hit and run. This is a VA facility. If that were to happen in a in the VA hospital, there'd be hell to pay. Mr. Peña, I'm going to ask you to wrap up and then we can continue to stay in touch. >> sure. Um you know, if you have any other questions, I'm more than happy >> Thank you. We'll we'll stay in touch via the email and I appreciate your insight here today and uh and the email as well. Thank you very much, sir. You're welcome. Thank you. >> Uh at this point, we are going to turn to the Zoom testimony. And uh we will begin again if there's anyone else that has any in-person testimony, uh please fill out one of these cards and present it to the Sergeant at Arms and we will we will get to you. But uh seeing no one we will begin with uh Jenny Bukovec uh via Zoom and uh Jenny, if I mispronounce your last name, please correct me. Um don't worry, everybody does. It's Jenny Bukovec and thank you very much for having me. Uh thank you, Council Member Marano and the rest of the committee. I'm Jenny Bukovec, Executive Director of Gallop NYC. We're New York City's largest therapeutic equine assisted nonprofit and we're based in Queens. Each week we serve over 400 New Yorkers including approximately 40 veterans and their family members through riding and unmounted programs. Everyone that comes to us re- receives a subsidy and no one is turned away for cost. Our veterans programs provide hands-on equine care, riding instruction, and opportunities to build connection and community in a setting that feels comfortable and non-clinical. We partner directly with the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System serving veterans from both the St. Albans and Brooklyn campuses each month. Um they come to us every week. They alternate. And we're expanding this work through our veterans family program that brings together family veterans and their children to be rebuild connection, strengthen family relationships, and build community. As one of our veteran participants shared, as a veteran with no prior horse experience, Gallop NYC restored a sense of camaraderie that was missing from civilian life. The relationships with the horses and instructors have been a powerful source of healing for my anxiety depression, and trauma-related challenges. We request your support in three areas. $150,000 in DVS funding to sustain and expand our veterans programs which are provided for free to all our participants. Demand continues to grow particularly through our VA partnerships. Second, we're requesting capital funding for an indoor arena including $250,000 from the council as part of a broader 3.25 million public funding request. This project is already partially funded and will allow us to operate year-round eliminating cancellations and ensuring the consistency that veterans and their families rely on. Third and beyond the scope of the Veterans Committee but very much for the council, we're requesting $200,000 in autism programming supporting the third of our participants that have an autism diagnosis. And we provide structured, consistent programming that they and their families rely on. And these providers in particular benefit from routine and predictability which the indoor arena which I just mentioned will help ensure. Gallop NYC is a cost-effective, high-impact model that improves mental health it strengthens families and expands access to care outside of traditional clinical settings. Thank you for your support and your opportunity to testify and we would love to invite um all the council members to come visit us at our facility in Queens so you can see the programs that your money helps to support. Thank you, Ms. Bukovec and uh since all of the council members other than me that were part of this hearing today are from Queens, I can promise you we will be taking you up on that very generous offer. Great. We love this. We really love visitors and a chance to show off our programs. Absolutely, count on it. Thank you very much. Have a good weekend. Uh at this point, I want to welcome also via Zoom uh Christopher Leon Johnson. Mr. Johnson, go ahead when you are ready. Time starts now. This Christopher Leon Johnson. First off, I want to give my credit due to the commissioner, You City Matos, for uh trying to do way better than the last uh commissioner and trying to make sure that the veterans get their fair share in the budget. Um hopefully that it'll be more money allocated to the Veterans Committee to veterans You City veterans this FY cycle. But I want to make this clear that I hope that this commissioner really start fighting for the veterans when it comes to the B&D street vendors and delivery services. Uh because um I hope that she looks back at the FY 24 uh budget cycle hearing for public testimony and there was a 16-minute um segment with Justin Brandon. Shout out to Justin Brandon for allowing him to speak for that long because he would have cut them off at just because he called out the Street Vendor Project. They call the SJP that these guys who are veterans who always get harassed by the NYPD more than their so-called migrants um that they have a real seat at the table and they get their voices heard. And I believe that the veterans commissioner, Mrs. Yessenia Matos, need to lobby to the city council, sorry you Mrs. Morano, to make it to where that the DSNY is not allowed to start um harassing um veteran street vendors. I I know that Shekar Christian passed a bill to where that NYPD is not allowed to criminalize the um street vendors. Shout out to Shekar Christian, but there need to be a conversation brought up and it must have come in years to come to where that the DSNY is not allowed to criminalize street vendors, but they need to start to make it where that the DSNY is not allowed to criminalize, harass, and pound or veteran street vendors because this is what's going on in the city, mainly Times Square, is that the veterans always get harassed. But when it comes to the more like uh people that are Indian, Arabic, and uh Muslims, and and mestizo like uh Mexicans like that, they never get harassed. So, going forward, uh I think that the veterans, they is a lot of I think when when you got more hearings like this come become the street veteran street vendors and veteran um vendors and small businesses, you will have more of these guys and gals come to come out to these hearings and calling this stuff out, mainly Street Vendor Project, because they're the ones that enabling um SJP, they're the so-called de facto advocates for street vendors, but they they do nothing to really help out the veteran street vendors. Uh they protect more of the migrant street vendors, mainly ones from Africa and um Mexico and Guatemala, like the the Hispanic ones more than the people that actually served our country in the first place. I believe that I know Mrs. Matos, she's a veteran. I thank her for her service and I'm going to apologize for um coming at her hard about the whole ice situation, but that's but ice. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Uh please please. I'm going to warn you once, please don't use that kind of a language. Okay, well, I won't do it again. Sorry that, but um but at the end of the day, um she needs to um hopefully that um coming forward that she really brings to attention when it comes to veteran street vendors because these guys and gals, just like the migrants, they're trying to make some they're trying to make money for their families, but it it's it's not worth trying to make money for your family when you got to worry about if you park outside City Hall cuz I know there's a lot of vendors outside City Hall across the street from uh 2 Broadway. Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I appreciate your testimony. I appreciate your advocacy on behalf of veteran street vendors. Have a good weekend. Thank you. All right. Um if there is anyone else, either in person or via Zoom, that has not had the opportunity to testify, uh speak now. If you're on Zoom, you can go ahead and raise your hand if you wish to do so. Seeing no hands, either virtually or in real life, uh I'd like to note again that members of the public can submit written testimony to testimony@council.nyc.gov. That's testimony@council.nyc.gov. I'm speaking especially to those of you that are catching this hearing on channel 74, the CUNY TV channel, and have some ideas for how we can improve the status of the budget, especially as it relates to DVS. Remember, if you don't testify, you've got no right to complain about what's in the budget. Testimony@council.nyc.gov. And ideally, if it's related to this hearing, please do so within 72 hours of this hearing. Uh to conclude, I'm grateful to everyone that attended today's hearing, especially Commissioner Yessenia Matos, and uh to the veterans committee staff for working so diligently on uh creating such a a great and diverse program uh today. All right. Um with that, this hearing is now adjourned at 1:00.