Noteboom The Law Firm

100% Disabled Veteran Denied Adaptive Housing Grant For Not Being Disabled Enough

November 24, 2010 - Matt Boisvert is a veteran of the war in Iraq. During his service in Fallujah, he was caught in a bomb blast. Boisvert unfortunately had his right leg blown off and can no longer use his right arm. Despite this, Boisvert does not qualify for a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adaptive housing grant. According to the VA, Boisvert's injuries are not incapacitating enough to qualify him for the program. To qualify for the adaptive housing program, veterans must suffer from:

• Loss of both legs;
• Complete blindness; or
• Extreme burns.

Once Boisvert filed his adaptive housing claim, it took 9 months to hear back from the VA. When the VA informed him he had been denied. Boisvert was not even given any explanation concerning the claim denial. The VA has since explained that Boisvert simply cannot provide enough medical evidence to support his claim that he qualifies for the adaptive housing grant. Since then, Boisvert has had support pledged to his cause from several irate veterans groups as well as U.S. Senator John Kerry.   

Boisvert went public with this story to show how difficult it is attempting to interact with the VA. Boisvert is classified as 100% disabled. The adaptive housing grant program was designed to help veterans alter their homes to accommodate their disabilities. Boisvert wanted to use the grant to add a garage to his home as he has difficulty getting in and out of his vehicle in the snowy New England winters. Hopefully the media coverage that was resulted from this story along with the outrage of advocacy groups and senators like John Kerry can influence the VA to re-examine of their policies in this area.