The veteran is then ‘presented’ to HUD/VASH, who is then ‘awarded’ HUD/VASH; a process that can take weeks or months. From there, the veteran is assigned another case manager who then takes weeks to schedule a meeting with the rest of that team, who then schedules a meeting with the veteran to confirm the documentation provided to NYCDVS, and then sends it on to yet another case manager, who then takes another 4-8 weeks to approve and actually issue the HUD/VASH voucher which is then provided to the veteran so that they might begin a housing search in earnest.
The veteran is then able Once the veteran finds a place they like, their application is submitted to Section 8 for review, and upon approval of the apartment the veteran signs the lease and receives their keys. Everything that took place between the time when NYCDVS first received the referral to the moment that NYCHA received the application was unnecessary and a waste of time, money, and resources with the most at-risk veteran suffering the consequences.
It's not just the veteran who suffers. Local organizations such as NYCDVS and Citleaf are also victims. As a Veteran Services Office (VSO), NYC Dept. of Veterans Services is quite capable of providing any documentation necessary for Section 8 directly to Section 8. But rather than having the authority to initiate the HUD/VASH process and then follow through with the process with the veteran, the VA handcuffs these agencies which are on the front lines with boots on the ground for the veterans with its very own incompetence. Organizations that offer supportive housing opportunities for disabled veterans are also handcuffed by incompetence. These programs are being forced to financially support an empty apartment while the VA passes their client around like a cheap hooker at a boot camp graduation party.
