Final Letter Report on the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services’ Compliance with Local Law 216 of 2018 Regarding the Development of a Veterans Resource Guide
Executive Summary
This Final Letter Report concerns the New York City Comptroller’s audit of the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services’ (DVS’) compliance with Local Law 216 of 2018, which governs the development of a veterans resource guide. The objective of this audit was to determine whether DVS has complied with the requirements of Local Law 216. Our audit of DVS is one in a series of audits we are conducting on whether DVS is complying with various local laws to provide adequate access to services, resources, and benefits.
New York City, with a population of more than 8.5 million people, is home to approximately 210,808 veterans; 189,808 are active duty veterans and 21,000 are reserves or National Guard veterans. To help veterans, service members, and their families identify and connect to necessary services, DVS was established as a City agency in April 2016. As an agency of the City, DVS works with other City, New York State (State), and federal agencies, as well as regional private and not-for-profit partners, to improve the lives of all City veterans and their families. Among other things, DVS seeks to ensure that homeless veterans have permanent housing and access to the support services they need to find and maintain their homes. In addition, DVS seeks to expand education and career opportunities for veterans and to provide information to them and their families about the availability of Citywide benefits, resources, and care. DVS states that it is committed to supporting veterans’ overall mental health and to specifically helping veterans cope with the full impact of war and their military service. DVS serves service members, veterans, or family members regardless of their era of service, branch of service, or discharge status.
Veterans rely on resources at the City, State, and federal levels to provide information on and gain access to benefits. Accordingly, in 2018, New York City Council passed Local Law 216, amending the City’s Administrative Code in relation to the creation of a veterans resource guide. Local Law 216 requires that DVS develop and maintain a resource guide for veterans that should be updated as regularly as necessary to maintain accuracy. The guide contains information about eligibility and the process of applying for federal, State, and City veterans’ benefits, special rights accorded to veterans under the law, health programs and services, legal and housing services, small business support, educational and employment opportunities, and other available resources for veterans. Furthermore, Local Law 216 requires that the guide be available on DVS’ website and in printed form.
Audit Findings and Conclusions
Our audit found that DVS generally complied with Local Law 216. DVS publishes a Veterans Resource Guide that informs veterans of the educational, employment, health, housing, and legal benefits that are available to veterans and veteran family members on City, State, and federal levels. The guide informs veterans that they are entitled to such benefits regardless of era of service, branch of service, or discharge status, and that they are a protected class in New York City’s Human Rights Law. After Local Law 216 was enacted, DVS initially categorized all of the benefits in its Veterans Resource Guide into three main programs that DVS utilizes to help veterans find necessary and adequate services: Housing & Support Services, VetsThriveNYC, and the Veterans Success Network. All subsequent updated guides catalog the benefits and services using additional subcategories under these headings. The Veterans Resource Guide provides information on how to reach DVS by phone and email, and also includes the locations and office hours of DVS’ resource centers. During the course of the audit, we reviewed and analyzed the Veterans Resource Guide updated January 2019, April 2019, July 2019, January 2020, February 2020, and March 2020. The information in the Veterans Resource Guide is updated as deemed necessary to maintain accuracy.
Furthermore, DVS maintains current hardcopies of the Veterans Resource Guide at its main location in Manhattan and its five resource centers/satellite offices located in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Each location is staffed with a DVS Engagement & Community Services Coordinator who is equipped with the Veterans Resource Guide and is knowledgeable about the services and benefits to which veterans are entitled. The coordinators are also able to talk with and assist veterans or veteran family members and connect them with employment and financial services, as well as business opportunities.
Additionally, DVS’ website provides pertinent information and direct links to veteran benefits and resources including its Veterans Resource Guide and Resource Map, VetConnectNYC, programs, press releases, newsletters, multimedia, and community events. The interactive Resource Map displays resources for New York City’s military and their families provided by City agencies and veteran services organizations that partner with DVS. Each site on the map depicts the name, service type, hours, address, building details, city, zip code, walk-in acceptability, telephone number, email address, website, and service details of the location. Moreover, VetConnectNYC further serves to reduce the complexity of navigating resources and benefits by operating as a hub through which veterans can connect to over 80 vetted service providers and a coordination team dedicated to connecting them to the necessary services.
Audit Recommendations
Based on the audit, we recommend that DVS continue to maintain its compliance with Local Law 216 to ensure it effectively meets the needs of veterans who seek to access veteran services, resources, and benefits at resource centers, outreach events, or online.
Agency Response
We received a written response from DVS on April 24, 2020. In their response, DVS officials agreed with the audit’s findings and recommendation, stating, “DVS will continue to maintain compliance with Local Law 216 so that we can continue to effectively inform our constituents of the various benefits and services across the city, state, and federal levels.” The full text of DVS’ response is included as an addendum to this report.