Hudson cites ~700 homeless veterans and Borden visit

As of the most recent data released on veteran homelessness in New York City, there are approximately 700 homeless veterans in our city, including those that are living in shelter.

While this number represents a decline in the number of homeless veterans since 2014, it is still unacceptable.

These are New Yorkers who valiantly served our nation.

at an enormous personal cost and who upon returning home are counting on their city to guide them into stable and permanent housing.

Our aim with this hearing is to hear from the city's providers, veterans, and homeless advocates about how we can improve the services we provide to our veterans.

The hope is to have a productive, cordial discussion.

Where we learn more about what is happening on the ground, what the council can do as an oversight and legislative body, and how we ultimately get our veterans housed.

I'd like to mention and thank Commissioner Dalton for joining me last night in our visit to the Borden Avenue Veterans Shelter.

I think the commissioner has done a lot of work to address the specific shelter and the issues there.

We spoke with a number of veterans at the shelter last night, and I think ultimately what we can all agree on is that they are not getting what they should as veterans.

And that's not even in terms of the specifics at the shelter, but broadly, culturally, I will say in this country, I don't think we're providing veterans with all that they need and that they rightly deserve.