DVS Commissioner Mata testifies on housing commitment and DVS approach
Mata introduces herself as DVS Commissioner, says housing is fundamental, recognizes shared responsibility for veterans, and describes veteran homelessness as varied, with DVS providing an end-to-end housing approach and maintaining a presence at Borden Avenue.
Good morning, Chair Murano, Chair Hudson, and distinguished members of the Committees on Veterans and General Welfare.
My name is Yesenia Mata, and I have the honor of serving as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Veteran Services.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the critical issue of veteran
homelessness and to highlight the work our agency is doing to ensure that veterans and their families have access to safe, stable, and permanent housing.
I also want to take a moment to recognize the many individuals who, while they may not have served in uniform themselves, continue to stand alongside our veterans in service to them.
From our city council members, government partners, and nonprofit organizations, to housing providers, advocates, and community members,
their commitment reminds us that supporting those who have served is not solely the responsibility of veterans or any one agency.
It is a shared responsibility that requires all of us working together.
As a soldier and a military spouse, I understand that service does not end when someone takes off the uniform.
Neither should our commitment to the people who have served.
Every veteran deserves the opportunity to live with dignity, stability, and a sense of
belonging in the city they call home.
Housing is fundamental to that commitment.
When we talk about veteran homelessness, we are not talking about a single experience or a single pathway into crisis.
Some veterans are staying in shelter, others are facing eviction, struggling to pay rent, or living in unstable situations that may not immediately be visible.
Some are navigating physical or mental health challenges, disability, employment transitions, or complicated benefit systems.
Our responsibility is to see the whole person and intervene as early as possible.
That is the purpose of our Housing and Supported Services team.
DVS provides an end-to-end veteran-centered approach that begins with outreach, intake, and assessment,
continues through housing navigation, applications, subsidy coordination, inspections, and lease follow-up, and extends into aftercare and housing retention.
Our work is grounding...
Grounded in a housing first oriented trauma informed approach, recognizing that permanent housing is a foundation from which other aspects of stability can grow.
Veterans come to DVS through community partners, shelter providers, VA facilities, direct outreach, walkings, and referrals.
It is important to our agency to meet veterans where they are at.
For example, although the Borden Avenue veteran
Veterans resident is not designated as a veteran resource center under the New York City Charter, DVS maintains a presence to provide resources and services to residents.
No matter where a veteran may be, our staff works with each individual to understand their housing status, income, benefits, safety concerns, and immediate needs.
Together, they develop an individualized housing plan.
That plan may involve locating an apartment, arranging a viewing, gathering documentation, coordinating with a landlord, or identifying the subsidy best suited to the veteran's circumstances.