PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Eric Lee, Director of Public Policy at Volunteers of America Greater New York (VOA-GNY)
1:35:35
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153 sec
Eric Lee from Volunteers of America Greater New York (VOA-GNY) testified in support of Intro 759, which aims to expand rental assistance for homeless veterans. He provided several recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the proposed legislation.
- Suggested changing the definition of "veteran" to include those who served in the National Guard but weren't called for active duty
- Recommended removing the proof of residency requirement, as it could be a barrier for unsheltered homeless veterans
- Proposed increasing the income limit for discontinuance of the voucher to 80% of the area median income, mirroring CityFHEPS limits
Eric Lee
1:35:35
Hi.
1:35:36
Good afternoon.
1:35:37
Thank you, Chair Holden and members of the committee, for the opportunity to testify today.
1:35:41
My name is Eric Lee.
1:35:43
I'm the Director of Public Policy at Volunteers of America Greater New York, or VOAGNY for short.
1:35:50
We are a 128 year anti poverty organization serving over 750 veterans every year.
1:35:57
I submitted written testimony for the record, which I will briefly summarize.
1:36:02
VOA GNY appreciates the council's continued leadership and commitment to supporting veterans who served our country.
1:36:08
And we support intro 959, which will expand access to rental assistance to more veterans experiencing the trauma of homelessness.
1:36:17
A significant number of veterans who experience homelessness struggle because they do not qualify for federally funded supportive services for veteran families or SSVF services or rental assistance through HUD VASH due to their discharge status, length of service, or branch in which they served.
1:36:34
To ensure that this legislation is as effective as possible and can assist veterans who served in the National Guard but were not called up for active duty, we recommend changing the definition for veteran to mirror the city FEPPS rule as defined, quote, a person who has served in the armed forces of the United States.
1:36:53
We applaud the idea of having the New York City Department of Veterans Services administer the voucher to ensure a no wrong door approach.
1:37:00
This would ensure that veterans can apply through programs where they feel most comfortable.
1:37:05
We also encourage the new program to accept direct referrals from SSVF programs to enable warm handoffs for veterans who do not qualify for federal resources.
1:37:14
VOA has an SSVF program that does community outreach, and this would be a great tool.
1:37:20
We recommend removing the proof of residency requirement, which could be a barrier to services, particularly for veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
1:37:28
Many lose important documents or identification due to street sweeps and may not be the best personal historians of their that can provide a complete housing history.
1:37:38
So it takes time to replace documents and verify fragmented address histories, which prolongs the experience of homelessness for service members.
1:37:47
Finally, we recommend increasing the income limit for discontinuance of the voucher up to 80% of the area median income from the proposed 200% federal poverty limit.
1:37:58
This would mirror CITFEP's limits and will enable veterans to earn more income to become self sufficient and be able to afford rent before they step off the program.
1:38:06
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
