Schumer: Once Homeless LI Vets In Danger Of Losing Homes, Other Critical Services
AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Officials say dozens of formerly homeless veterans and their families are in danger of becoming homeless again on Long Island.
Sen. Charles Schumer is urging the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to reverse its denial of thousands of dollars in assistance for Liberty Village in Amityville to cover the cost of rent and support services.
Officials say 60 homeless veterans were approved for federal housing vouchers and were allowed to move in to Liberty Village before the winter, 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reported.
But Schumer said the vouchers didn't come through because HUD said the vets were no longer considered homeless.
Schumer: Once Homeless Vets On Long Island In Danger Of Losing Homes
"They tell them 'Yes, we're going to give you the vouchers.' Then they move the folks in so they have a place to live and they say, 'No, they're no longer homeless, we can't give you the vouchers," he said. "It makes no sense."
Marine vet Nikki DiPaola was among those vets given apartments while the paperwork was being completed.
"I think it's ridiculous," DiPaola told Rivera. "There's no reason why we should all have to remain homeless waiting for these vouchers to go through."
Schumer said that without these vouchers, Liberty Village will also be "forced to choose between paying for rent and utilities and providing these homeless veterans with mental health care, job training and other critical services."
He called the situation a "bureaucratic bungle."
"Just as we untangled previous bureaucratic bungles, we will untangle this one," he said. "But this is the worst I've seen."
