While many Bronxites took the usual time to honor local veterans at various events held across the borough on Veterans Day,  Nov. 11, as reported, residents of the Fordham Village veterans’ community, located in the Fordham Manor section of the Bronx, are fed-up complaining about reportedly substandard living conditions, and are demanding action.

 

Addressing the needs of the Fordham Village veterans was the primary focus of the Veterans Affairs committee of Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7), during its Nov. 17 committee meeting, a follow-up on various complaints raised during the October committee meeting.

 

A review of the Oct. 20 committee meeting minutes, approved during the Nov. 17 meeting, showed that residents had complained about lack of cleanliness, lack of heat and hot water on a consistent basis, an out-of-service elevator, high staff turnover and loss of veteran staff over time. Residents said they were “sick and tired of feeling neglected.”

 

Located at 355 East 194^th Street, News 12 The Bronx reported that Fordham Village was the first veterans’ community residence of its kind in New York City when it opened in 2011, housing 55 homeless or at-risk veterans in individual studio apartments. The project was co-funded by New York City Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD), federal and State aid and private donors. It is managed through Manhattan-based nonprofit, the Jericho Project, through the nonprofit’s veterans’ initiative.

 

Pix 11 reported at the time of its opening that Fordham Village provided subsidized rental accommodation, and that the residence includes a community room and computer lab. Meanwhile, the Jericho Project provides job assistance, substance-abuse services, counseling and support services to the Fordham Village veteran community. In November 2012, a similar project, Kingsbridge Terrace Veterans Residence, a six-story housing facility dedicated to New York City veterans was opened.

 

The November veterans committee meeting was held virtually, with all Fordham Village residents sharing the same device to join the meeting. It was, therefore, not always possible to identify who exactly was speaking but at one point, one unidentified resident gave an account of his living situation.

 

“My thing is, you know, with the refrigerators here, okay? The plastic around the doors [is] defective. I’ve gotten roaches inside my refrigerator.” He continued, “I’ve been putting in paperwork, you know, for a long time. Nothing was done, I guess, because of the pandemic. I want something done.”

 

The October minutes of the CB7 veterans committee meeting included additional complaints. Because of the broken elevator, Fordham Village veterans who are wheelchair users or who have a disability, could not, reportedly, run errands, attend necessary appointments, or travel on their own.

 

Chad Royer, Veterans Affairs committee chair, said during the November meeting that, following the October meeting, the committee had reached out to Jericho Project officials for follow-up. Amjad Mujaahid, one of the Fordham Village residents said at the November meeting that Jericho Project officials did indeed send people out after that, to start fixing some of the issues, including the elevator which he said had been broken for 35 days.

 

Mujaahid added that Tori Lyon, CEO of Jericho, also organized a separate meeting with the veterans to allow them the opportunity to reiterate their grievances to her directly. He said Lyon told them she would check back in with them, two weeks after the meeting.

 

According to Mujaahid, veterans also wrote letters to Jericho and to elected officials about the problems they were experiencing at Fordham Village, as did veterans at other community residences. “We want to keep this clean, not only for us, but for any veteran living in supportive housing or transitional housing,” said Mujaahid. “Too many people are taking advantage of us, and that’s got to stop.”

 

Greg Faulkner is chief of staff for District 14 City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, and he also attended the meeting. District 14 covers Morris Heights, University Heights, Fordham and Kingsbridge. Faulkner said he had spoken to Lyon about having another meeting with the residents, adding that he had heard the elevator in another veterans’ residence had also been fixed.

 

He said the momentum from that one meeting with Lyon, was, in his opinion, having a widespread effect. “I think you’ve definitely lit a fire,” he said. “We got some action. I think we’ve got to keep the momentum going.”

 

Meanwhile, Angel Leger, constituent advocate for District 11 City Councilman Eric Dinowitz, said he would bring the issues raised at the meeting to the councilman’s attention. District 11 covers Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield, and Woodlawn.

 

Norwood News reached out to Lyon for a comment on the residents’ various complaints. She responded on Thursday, Dec. 2, saying, “Issues that were brought up at the meeting were resolved. The elevators, which needed parts that were delayed by the supply chain snarls, have been repaired.”

 

She added, “While they [the elevators] were out, Jericho staff was in regular contact with the tenants and brought food and supplies to them as needed. There is also staff on hand 24/7 at Fordham Village. Heat and hot water are in good standing. Thermostats have been upgraded or in the process of being upgraded.”

 

Other topics were also discussed at the November meeting. Eva Hinds, CEO of Veterans’ Voices newsletter, joined the meeting alongside the Fordham Village residents, and said a veterans’ get together was being planned for a date after Dec. 4. She said anyone who was interested in finding out more about the Veterans Voices’ newsletter could email her at vetvonews@gmail.com.

 

Shawn Kingston from the Center for Development and Civic Engagement at the Bronx VA, later spoke to meeting attendees about volunteer opportunities, specifically at the Bronx VA hospital. He said anyone who was 16 or older could become a volunteer and that more volunteers in the customer service, clinical area were needed. He added that the VA accepted donations also, both monetary and in kind.

 

“As I alluded to earlier, we suspended our program, but we’re actually starting to bring our volunteers back in,” Kingston said, adding that he’s been in charge of the Bronx VA volunteer service for the past two years, having taken over at the height of the pandemic. “During the past two years [..] we’ve basically collected over $400,000 in donations and donated items, and this fiscal year, we started Oct. 1, we’re looking to basically have those numbers again,” he said.

 

Tyrone Matthews, another resident of Fordham Village, who was also present at the meeting, asked if veterans who didn’t qualify for federal VA benefits had other options of support available to them. “They feel like they’re just not included,” he said. “We don’t want them to feel like that, so what services can we have for the individuals who cannot attend the VA, to make them feel more welcomed?” he asked.

 

Kingston recommended that impacted veterans file an appeal for federal benefits or look into State, City or local benefits. He said they could also be set up with a support group or with someone to help them navigate available resources. He offered his contact information for people to reach out to him directly.

 

“We don’t have the resources to knock on every single veteran’s door,” he said. “But if you meet us halfway, we’ll meet you the other half. Basically, you have to take that step and we’ll do the rest.” He said it was also about encouraging veterans to try out the different resources available to them. “It’s definitely worth a shot and there’s a lot of benefits out there for vets, but you got to come get it,” he said.

 

Norwood News reported in May how some veterans who receive an other-than-honorable discharge, in some cases due to post-traumatic stress disorder, are not always aware that there are alternative routes to obtaining health and other benefits which they need. In June, as reported, Bronx CB7 discussed a proposal for reduced MTA cards for veterans and in July, Royer wrote an Op Ed for the Norwood News, entitled, “Why Veterans’ Issues Matter.”

 

Also, in July, we reported how a new Bronx veterans center has opened in Wakefield. Muller Residences were to begin accepting tenants later that month.

 

The next item Royer brought up was suicide awareness and prevention for veterans. A presentation on the topic had been given by Sebastian Shaw of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs during the October meeting. Shaw explained that factors which heightened the threat of suicide were economic disparities, race/ethnicity/LGBT disparities, homelessness, isolation, and health problems, including COVID-19.

 

Ronald Downes, who works with the Bronx VA as a community engagement and partnerships coordinator for suicide prevention, attended the November meeting and said it was important to get veterans involved with the VA to reduce the likelihood of suicide.

 

“We know that of all the veterans that die annually by suicide, about two thirds have not had any contact with the VA system,” he said, adding that creating partnerships and coalitions with community members to help end veteran suicide could help in this regard.

 

At one point during the meeting, CB7 committee member, Jean Hill, mentioned the passing of veteran and former veterans committee member, Jeffrey Hunter. She asked if there was a way to find out where he had been laid to rest to allow people to pay their respects. Kingston offered to reach out to Hunter’s next of kin through the VA for information.

 

Later in the meeting, Royer also mentioned both Hunter’s death, as well as the recent passing of former Veterans Affairs committee chair, Carmen Miranda. “I want to thank them for the help that they provided me, the confidence, and what they’ve provided to some of our other board members, and members of the public,” he said.

 

Anthony Rivieccio, veteran and former veterans committee member, then raised the topic of a World War I monument on Mosholu Parkway that is in need of restoration. The matter had also been raised by AJ Ramos, a local Norwood resident, at previous Bronx CB7 meetings. Rivieccio said it would be nice to have the monument fixed up in celebration of Veterans Day. Royer agreed that the matter would be discussed at the next meeting.

 

Before closing, Royer asked about having a meeting in December or waiting until January. Hill said, in her opinion, they should wait until January, when Bronx Borough President-elect, Vanessa Gibson, is instated. “I have to think that she will have a full committee to work with veterans,” she said.

 

“So, I think we wait until January. We bring her into the fold…. also find out what services that she can offer or how she can help the people at Fordham Village, and even some of the veterans that are living in other areas,” Hill added. The committee members subsequently agreed to hold the next meeting in January after the holidays.

 

On Dec. 9, Councilman Eric Dinowitz confirmed that his bill, Int. 2354 will be codified into law and will ensure that all veterans, including those with an other-than-honorable discharge, arising from PTSD, LGBTQ or pregnancy status will be entitled to receive city services, including support with discharge status upgrades.

1/ Very proud of my bill, Int. 2354 – ALL #veterans, including those that received less than honorable discharge status, stemming from #PTSD, #LGBTQ status & even pregnancy, are entitled to city services including support with discharge status upgrades

— Council Member Eric Dinowitz (@EricDinowitzNYC) December 9, 2021

 

 

Suicide is preventable. Veterans who are in emotional distress and are showing warning signs of suicide can be connected to the 24-hour Veterans Crisis Line. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, use the online chat, or text to 838255. Sebastian Shaw can be reached at Sebastian.shaw@va.gov.

For more information about the Center for Development and Civic Engagement at the Bronx VA, email Shawn.Kingston@va.gov.

To inquire about services available through the Jericho Project program, call (646) 970-7170 or email ssvf@jerichoproject.org.

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.