Based on input and feedback from our membership, as well as our founding mission and values, we are proud to announce our Policy Priorities for 2018. These priorities are the framework upon which our legislative initiatives, public testimonies, and advocacy are based. 

Our nine priorities are:

Happy Valentine's Day to our military members, veterans, families, and civilian allies!

Last night Mayor de Blasio delivered the first State of the City speech of his new term of office at the beautiful Kings Theatre in the heart of Brooklyn.

Although the surroundings were lovely, we heard no direct mention of how the Mayor’s plan for NYC to become the “Fairest Big City in America” would benefit veterans and our families—which together make up at least 1 in 17 New Yorkers. 

Join us on Saturday, February 3rd, for Making Change in NYC Government, a one-day, nonpartisan educational and networking workshop produced by the NYC Veterans Alliance. Sessions are tailored for an audience of veterans, family members, and civilian allies who want to advance their involvement in and understanding of NYC government. We'll cover community boards, political party leadership, local elections, policy & legislative advocacy, and more--all in good company where you'll be able to connect with experienced leaders and others eager to make a difference in their communities.

REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE

We're proud to announce that our distinguished speakers include:

On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, Martina Parauda, Director of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System, held a town hall for veterans and the Manhattan VA. Here is a brief summary of the information she provided for our community:

The meeting of the NYC Veterans Advisory Board (VAB) scheduled for today in Brooklyn--which would have fulfilled the VAB's chartered mandate to hold at least one meeting open to the public in each borough on an annual basis--has been cancelled. The meeting has been rescheduled for January 23, 2018, for a Brooklyn location that is not yet identified.

This cancellation is unfortunately consistent with the VAB’s pattern of lagging behind in its ability to fulfill its chartered mandate:

Yesterday the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs announced a plan to immediately slash the HUD-VASH program, a $265 million supportive housing voucher program intended to end veteran homelessness--until outcry from advocates and veterans organizations caused them to reverse that decision late last night. Although this shocking cut is off the table for right now, it will be back on the table for 2019. This is unacceptable and could potentially worsen the national scourge of veteran homelessness.

The NYC Veterans Alliance urges our community to call upon the VA and our Congressional delegation to protect the HUD-VASH voucher program in order to keep recently homeless veterans stable in permanent housing and to sustain a program that has effectively reduced veteran homelessness in NYC and nationwide. 

On November 15, 2017, the NYC Veterans Alliance presented testimony in support of Intro. 6880, a bill proposing to extend the current Eligible Funds Tax Exemption for veteran property owners to include school tax, which would bring this older program into alignment with the Alternative Tax Exemption expansion passed earlier in the year. 

Below is our testimony before the NYC Council:

Starting on November 18, 2017, the NYC Human Rights law went into effect to provide new protections for veterans and servicemembers from discrimination in housing, employment, and places of public accommodation. Take a look at our Lunch & Learn conversation with the NYC Commission on Human Rights, NYC Department of Veterans' Services, and the NYC Veterans Alliance about this important new legislation, and see important details below:

Craig Newmark Philanthropic Fund Jumpstarts Challenge with a $50,000 Gift

In August, our members sounded the alarm on a proposal by the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System to close inpatient surgeries at the Brooklyn VAMC, which rallied local politicians to take action. We are proud to announce today that we've heard from Congressman Dan Donovan's office that this plan has officially been abandoned! 

“We applaud the leadership of Congressman Donovan and the bipartisan advocacy of the many Brooklyn elected leaders who stood against closure and contraction of services at the Brooklyn VAMC," said Kristen Rouse, U.S. Army Veteran, Founding Director of the NYC Veterans Alliance, and Brooklyn resident. "As our leaders and our community are well aware, we must focus on improving VA care for our city's veterans, not reducing available options. We are pleased to see that the veterans who rely on the Brooklyn VA can rest assured that all existing services will remain open and available for them.”