Mike Munoz demands accountability and lists five demands
Munoz says the VA offered $1.3 million and the city turned it down, cites a bed decline from 154 to 8, and demands canceling the ICL contract, resignations of Dalton and Mata, a comptroller audit, and space for VSOs at Borden.
Good afternoon, chairs and members of the committees.
My name is Mike Munoz.
I'm a post 9-11 global war on terrorism veteran and the current veterans caucus chairman of the New York Young Republican Club and a longtime advocate.
I'm not here to ask politely.
I'm here to demand accountability.
The VA offered this city $1.3 million for homeless veterans at Borden Avenue.
This administration turned down every dollar.
Now the taxpayers are covering a bill Washington offered to pay.
The VA's own award list show that grant and premium beds tied to New York City fell from 154 veteran beds in fiscal year 2024 to just eight fiscal beds.
8 in fiscal year 2027.
There's a 94.8% decline in listed capacity.
New York State now ranks 21st in the nation in total awarded beds.
A drop like this raises serious concerns about whether homeless veterans in this city can get transitional housing at all.
The award lists alone do not tell us whether beds actually closed or whether other programs replaced them.
That is exactly why this council needs answers.
On October 1st, two members of this council went to inspect that shelter.
They were kept outside for hours.
Inside, they found leaks and tarps hanging near the cots where veterans sleep.
Then the mayor's office demanded nondisclosure agreements before council members could tour, and residents say they were ordered to clean the building
before the commissioner's visit, a visit the residents were told about and this council was not.
This is not a funding dispute.
This is a failure of leadership, and failure has names.
In the military, leaders lead from the front.
When leadership fails, they are relieved of their command.
Here are our demands in five points.
One, cancel the contract.
The Institute for Community Living was paid to run Borden Avenue.
It failed.
Not one more dollar.
Two, Commissioner Erin Dalton must resign.
Her agency oversees this shelter, walked away from this funding, and left this council standing at the door.
Three, Commissioner Yesenia Mata must resign.
I respect her service in uniform, but her own department has an office inside that building.
On October 7th, she was asked whether her department knew about these conditions, and she could not give a straight answer.
When veterans of Borden Avenue needed a fighter, they had a commissioner down the hall who could not say what she knew.
4.
The full audit by the city comptroller of every dollar paid to run Borden Avenue.
and every dollar now spent to replace the funding, this city refused.
And five, open the doors.
The Department of Veteran Services cannot be the only way a veteran gets help.
The Department of Veterans Affairs itself gives veteran service organizations space in its own buildings.
Give the American Legion, the VFW, the DAV, and every organization willing to serve these veterans space inside Borden Avenue.
To this council, you have subpoena power, budget power, and oversight power.
Use all three.
Get the documents now.
Do not let this end with a hearing.
Veterans hold the line.
We held it overseas, and we're holding it here.
We will be back until these men have what they earned.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Mr.
Matthews.