Far too many veterans and families were already on the brink of financial crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic. As we've worked to aid our community over the last year through our Veterans Mutual Aid program, we've heard from so many who were pushed into total catastrophe. The least our federal government can offer is immediate, significant debt relief. Student loans have placed a tremendous burden on our community, and we join with a number of veterans organizations in urging President Biden to  to cancel up to $50,000 in debt to keep veteran families stable in their homes and their lives.

Building on the progress we made last year to enshrine protections for veterans and military members in NYC law with passage of Local Law 119-2017, NYC Veterans Alliance today stood in support of a new bill being introduced by Congressman Joe Crowley (NY-14) to protect student veterans using GI Bill benefits from housing discrimination nationwide. 

We gathered for a press conference at the stunning Bronx Victory Memorial in Pelham Bay Park, which commemorates the troops from the Bronx who lost their lives in World War I. Joining Rep. Crowley was NY State Assembly Member Mike Benedetto, Assembly Member Nathalia Fernandez, Council Member Mark Gjonaj, and members of the NYC Veterans Alliance.

Dubbed the "Students LIVE (Live Irrespective of Veterans Educational Assistance) Act," Rep. Crowley's bill proposes to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to prohibit discrimination against veterans on the basis of their VA educational benefits as their source of income. We fully support this legislation as a national extension of protections we worked to emplace here in NYC, and it advances the policy priorities set forth by our members for this year.

On September 21, 2015, the NYC Veterans Alliance held its First Policy Agenda Meeting at Civic Hall. Thanks to volunteer Meaghan S., we have a transcript of what was discussed at the meeting.

Moderator Phoebe Gavin discusses an audience question about VA payments being counted as income by NYC landlords with panelists Lee Covino, Coco Culhane, Brett Morash, Tireak Tulloch, and Vadim Panasyuk.

Forum on NYC Veterans Policy

Presented by the NYC Veterans Alliance
July 28, 2015 - New York Public Library

by Samuel Innocent

Good day student veterans,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to inform you of a proposed bill that may affect you and most certainly will affect many student veterans in the future: S.752, which would amend New York education law to mandate that the SUNY and CUNY Board of Trustees make a policy for the schools to award academic credits for military training. But for the New York Legislature to pass it, we all need to speak up.

For those of you who know me, you know how passionate I am about this topic; for those of you who don’t, I’ll provide a brief history.