On Veterans Day, elected officials in New York signed laws, enacted orders and proposed policies designed to help current and former servicemen and women.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed 14 bills into law that bolster protections for New York veterans. The legislation protects the rights of active duty military members and veterans in a number of areas, including access to education, employment, voting, discharge status protection along with general services and benefits.
“Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend our nation, and we must honor them and support them just as they supported us,” Cuomo said. “This package of bills includes a wide range of protections and benefits to help ensure the veterans across our state get the services, educational and employment opportunities, and respect they have earned through their many sacrifices."
The new law also mandates a report be compiled on how many homeless veterans are living in the state, including how many of them have children, so advocates and policymakers can better develop solutions to address this problem.
Currently, only seriously disabled veterans — not active members of the armed forces — were eligible for a real property tax exemption when they must modify their homes to accommodate a service-related disability. This bill ends that by extending the tax exemption to seriously injured active members who stay in service despite their disability, so they can take full advantage of it when making modifications to their property. Under current law, state employees who are veterans may get additional paid leave from their work to receive health-related services without loss of pay. This bill allows local municipalities to offer their veteran employees the same opportunity, reflecting state policy.
The new law also updates the duties of the women veterans coordinator within the state Division of Veterans' Services to better tackle the needs and challenges faced by the state's women veterans population.
Almost 750,000 veterans are living in New York and the state has enacted the nation's largest fund for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, certifying over 600 to date; convened the state's first-ever summit on veterans and military families; launched the justice for heroes initiative to fund legal clinics at law schools that provide assistance to veterans; provided funding for nonprofits that offer peer-to-peer support for veterans and their families; and waived the application fee for veterans taking civil service exams.
In a ceremony held at Madison Square Park, President Donald Trump paid tribute to veterans.
“On Veterans Day, our nation rededicates itself to our most solemn duty. While we can never repay our warriors for their boundless service and sacrifice, we must uphold with supreme vigilance our sacred obligation to ‘care for those who have borne the battle,’ ” Trump said.
“Together, we must safeguard what generations of fearless patriots gave everything to secure. We will protect our liberty, uphold our values, and defend our home. We will ensure that righteous legacy of America's veterans stands as a testament to this nation from now until the end of time,” he said. “To every veteran here today and all across our land: You are America’s greatest living heroes and we will cherish you now, always, and forever.”
Also on Monday, New York City unveiled a major expansion of programs offered through the Department of Veterans Services that will bolster mental health outreach and treatment for veterans.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Lt. Col. James Hendon, commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services, made the announcement at a Gracie Mansion breakfast reception in honor of Veterans Day.
A new program, Service2Service, will be a joint DVS-NYC mentorship program that connects veterans and AmeriCorps alumni with mentors in city government to help them find careers as civil servants.
“As the son of a World War II veteran, I know the men and women who serve our country can carry a tremendous pain that is still felt years or decades later,” de Blasio said. “As the only city with our own Department of Veterans Services, New York City is here to help its veterans shoulder the load and today that means providing them with new tools to look after their mental health. I’m proud of the successes DVS has achieved so far, and I know this announcement will lead to further victories for our city’s veterans in years to come.”
The Service2Service program aims to build relationships between service-minded New Yorkers and mentees with their networks, knowledge and resources to continue a legacy of service with the city. The inaugural class of Service2Service participants will include 40 city employees, 20 veterans and 20 AmeriCorps alumni for a six-month mentorship program.
“Too many of the tragedies that befall our veterans after coming home — whether it's a struggle with addiction or the crisis of veteran homelessness — are linked to the lack of appropriate tools to address their mental health challenges. So I can think of nothing better we can give our veterans on this important day than a full toolbox to help ensure their needs are taken care of,” Hendon said.
DVS will also recruit more vetted mental health partners to its VetConnectNYC referral service to let the department scale up all its mental health initiatives, including the VetsThriveNYC. The city will also help provide grants to legal services organizations that will help veterans challenge their discharge status, including LGBTQIA+ veterans given less than honorable discharges due to their orientation or gender identity. With an honorable discharge status, more veterans will be able to receive VA services previously denied to them, including mental health care.
“Far too many veterans struggle to transition back into civilian life following their service, and it's our duty to make sure they feel our support when they return from active duty,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. ”Our heroes deserve nothing less and through partnerships with ThriveNYC as well as local and federal agencies, we will continue to address the stigma around veteran’s mental health by providing them with more of the tools they need for long-term health and success.”
On the housing front, City Comptroller Scott Stringer called on the city and state to deliver economic relief to tens of thousands of veterans struggling through the city’s affordability crisis.
Stringer’s unveiled a plan that would expand an existing tax relief program to support to veterans who are renters — providing an estimated 32,000 low-income veterans with new help.
“In New York City, we honor and recognize the service and sacrifice that veterans have made to our country — and we must do more to recognize the hardships faced by veterans in our city,” Stringer said. “On Veterans Day, and every day, we must recommit to supporting our veterans. It’s on us to stand up for veterans struggling through our affordability crisis, and we can honor their service by guaranteeing real relief.”
The state and city’s current veteran-targeted tax credit programs leave tens of thousands of veterans without much-needed support — those veterans who rent. Many veterans are struggling economically, as the median income for veterans in the city is $35,000, compared to $57,000 citywide. Veterans are also more likely to experience homelessness.
Stringer’s proposal would expand an existing program. Veterans who are own their own homes can get tax exemptions to reduce their property taxes — by as much as 25% if the veteran served in a combat zone and as much as 50% if the veteran was disabled as a result of their military service.
According to the latest data, about 45,000 city veteran homeowners received property tax exemptions totaling $47 million, an average of just over $1,000.
Stringer urged the adoption of a veterans’ renter’s tax credit, which would raised it so low income veterans who rent receive equivalent support as homeowners. The average credit last year was $39 for renters — and by raising the maximum credit for veterans to $1,000 the comptroller’s office estimates an expanded benefit would provide over 32,000 low-income veterans with an average benefit of nearly $653 at a total cost of $21 million. New York City's residential property taxes total over $13 billion, so Stringer asserted that this would be a small amount in comparison.
