Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Efforts for Veterans Homelessness Stifled by Mismanagement

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been strongly fighting homelessness among veterans ever since VA Sec. Eric Shinseki made a promise to eliminate it altogether within 5 years; however, according to an article in Federal News Radio, it will take more than money to meet that goal.

The VA's budget is somewhere in the neighborhood of $130 billion. It has been reported, however, tens of billions of dollars of that budget is being misspent and wasted. Nevertheless, the VA's problems in fighting homelessness and providing benefits veterans aren't money related.

Recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports have detailed some of the problems:  

• excessive and unprocessed paperwork;
• little to no competition between companies working for procurements; and
• unprocessed insurance claims. 

All of the above exist because there's no congressional oversight. Theft and fraud in procurement has almost become commonplace, and the subsequent investigations take money and time to complete. Misplaced priorities are resulting in homeless veterans remaining on the streets and a backlog of disability claims so large that it's approaching becoming completely unmanageable.

Based on comments made by Maj. Brian Hampton, president of the Center for American Homeless Veterans, placing someone in a position to be able to address the problems may be the only way to bring in the necessary focus. The VA operates under good leadership, but the middle-ground bureaucracy is preventing their efforts from being fully realized by those most in need.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.