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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by Melissa del Valle Ortiz on Homelessness Among Female Veterans

1:55:36

ยท

74 sec

Melissa del Valle Ortiz, a former homeless veteran, testified about the lack of attention to female veterans in discussions about veteran homelessness. She emphasized the unique challenges faced by female veterans, including higher rates of hidden homelessness.

  • Female veterans often stay in cars, couch surf, or live with family members, especially when they have children.
  • These statistics are not being adequately captured or addressed in current discussions.
  • Del Valle Ortiz urged the City Council and DVS to focus more on the specific needs of female veterans.
Melissa del Valle Ortiz
1:55:36
Hi.
1:55:38
Thank you for holding this hearing on homelessness and to the commissioner for his report.
1:55:44
My name is Melissa Del Vallortiz.
1:55:46
I recently gave testimony in September stating that I too was a homeless veteran with two children in tow when I first came out in 1994 when I came back to New York.
1:56:01
Homelessness among women veterans, and there's a study on it, is at its highest.
1:56:07
I have not heard any conversation here about female veterans at all.
1:56:15
I think that it's something that we really need to look at.
1:56:18
Female veterans are typically stay stay living in cars.
1:56:24
They couch surf because they have women in tow, children in tow with them.
1:56:30
They typically are housed by family members.
1:56:33
We are not looking at those statistics.
1:56:35
And I think that that's something that city council as well as the DBS really needs to look at with respect to veterans.
1:56:44
I have not heard the word female veteran in this room, I think, but
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