VA doles out $100M for homeless vets

[Luddly Neddite]

VA Doles Out $100 Million To End Veteran Homelessness

 

[signelect]

Our government owns 1000's of homes, lets find a good way to get them to the returning vets, they earned them. I don't know what your life is worth but I think my life is worth a lot and they are coming back in bad shape and need our help.

 

[waltky]

VA triples spending on homeless vets...

VA triples spending on homelessness problem
July 11, 2013 WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday awarded almost $300 million in grants for homeless and low-income assistance efforts, three times what the agency spent on that program last year.

The move is part of the larger governmentwide effort to end veterans homelessness in the next two years, and comes at a time when most federal programs are tightening their belts in an effort to deal with sharp reductions in funding. The grants through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program are designed to provide a safety net to low-income veterans struggling with permanent housing. Awards were given to 319 community agencies across all 50 states, in an effort to provide direct and flexible assistance to veterans and their families.

Vincent Kane, acting executive director of the VA’s homeless initiative, said officials pushed for big increases in the SSVF awards because of the success of past grant programs. In its first year, officials found, 86 percent of grant beneficiaries were still in permanent housing a year later. The latest round of grants is expected to help about 120,000 veterans and their families.

Key in the program has been financial assistance to veterans, preventing them from becoming destitute in the first place,” Kane said. “If you want to end homelessness, you have to rescue those on the streets,” Kane said. “But you also need to have a strategy to help those who could end up in trouble, before they end up homeless.”

For that reason, Kane said even as homeless veterans numbers decrease, the department expects to keep support for the SSVF grants. In total, the VA has pledged more than $1 billion in homelessness prevention programs this fiscal year. According to the most recent national counts, compiled in early 2012, about 62,000 veterans are living on the streets. Figures for 2013 are expected later this summer.

VA triples spending on homelessness problem - Veterans - Stripes

 

[regent]

Our government owns 1000's of homes, lets find a good way to get them to the returning vets, they earned them. I don't know what your life is worth but I think my life is worth a lot and they are coming back in bad shape and need our help.

I wonder how many neighborhoods would welcome homeless vets?

 

[whitehall]

A Hundred Million in freaking grants? Is anybody in the freaking government responsible for the proper administration of taxpayer dollars? You can bet your ass(ets) that the 100M will not put a single Vet on the road to sobriety but it might spread the wealth to community activists who supported the president. The unkind reality is that there are hundreds of programs already in place and there are shelters and meals but along with shelter there are behavior restrictions. The 100M thrown out into the system as grant money with little or no accounting will only buy another bottle and maybe a vote or two or three.

 

[asterism]

VA Doles Out $100 Million To End Veteran Homelessness

If money was an issue the problem would have been solved decades ago. I like the intention, but this is not going to address the issues.

 

[usmcstinger]

Our government owns 1000's of homes, lets find a good way to get them to the returning vets, they earned them. I don't know what your life is worth but I think my life is worth a lot and they are coming back in bad shape and need our help.

I wonder how many neighborhoods would welcome homeless vets?

Finding housing for Veterans who are homeless has been very successful for over 30 years.
Do some research ass hole.

 

[usmcstinger]

A Hundred Million in freaking grants? Is anybody in the freaking government responsible for the proper administration of taxpayer dollars? You can bet your ass(ets) that the 100M will not put a single Vet on the road to sobriety but it might spread the wealth to community activists who supported the president. The unkind reality is that there are hundreds of programs already in place and there are shelters and meals but along with shelter there are behavior restrictions. The 100M thrown out into the system as grant money with little or no accounting will only buy another bottle and maybe a vote or two or three.

Why is it that non Veterans become experts on Veterans' issues. The VA and Not for Profit groups have been successful for 30 years in finding housing for Homeless Veterans.

People who are not protected by Smith and Wilson do not know shit about sobriety.

Are their any other groups of people that you stereotype and bad mouth due to your ignorance and stupidity?

If you happen to see some Homeless Vets, thank them for allowing you to enjoy your freedom.

I learned a long time ago that you can't fix stupid.

 

[Mushroom]

Sorry, but this is a great big stinking lump of crap. And is only doing what such programs do: make people feel better, while not really doing anything.

For one, the biggest problem with "homeless vets" is those veterans themselves. Millions successfully move from their military to civilian careers, and never have a problem with homelessness. I also believe that the "homeless veteran" problem is overhyped, mostly by homeless advocated that hope to get a "trickle down" of this money, as well as the homeless that were never veterans looking for a handout.

Of those that are really vets and homeless, I bet drugs and/or alcohol is the real problem. We need to get them cleaned up, or they will always be homeless. But like most addicts, they do not want to be cleaned up, they want their next fix or drink.

And how worthless is this effort? Well, I looked at the numbers. $100 million spread amongst 42,000 individuals comes out to less then $2,400 per person. What is this supposed to do exactly? That may give some homeless a few months in a cheap apartment, but that is about it.

The real reason for most homelessness (veteran and otherwise) is mental conditions and substance abuse. And until those are solved we will always have this problem.

In this, I think the VA always has been and always will be a failure. Because they do not solve the actual program. Myself, i favor programs like US Vets, which deals with the real problem before trying to actually help the veteran. It is a private non-profit, that has a high success rate in dealing with homeless vets, as long as they follow the rules. And #1 is no drugs or drinking, period. Break that rule and you are back out on the street.

 

[usmcstinger]

Sorry, but this is a great big stinking lump of crap. And is only doing what such programs do: make people feel better, while not really doing anything.

For one, the biggest problem with "homeless vets" is those veterans themselves. Millions successfully move from their military to civilian careers, and never have a problem with homelessness. I also believe that the "homeless veteran" problem is overhyped, mostly by homeless advocated that hope to get a "trickle down" of this money, as well as the homeless that were never veterans looking for a handout.

Of those that are really vets and homeless, I bet drugs and/or alcohol is the real problem. We need to get them cleaned up, or they will always be homeless. But like most addicts, they do not want to be cleaned up, they want their next fix or drink.

And how worthless is this effort? Well, I looked at the numbers. $100 million spread amongst 42,000 individuals comes out to less then $2,400 per person. What is this supposed to do exactly? That may give some homeless a few months in a cheap apartment, but that is about it.

The real reason for most homelessness (veteran and otherwise) is mental conditions and substance abuse. And until those are solved we will always have this problem.

In this, I think the VA always has been and always will be a failure. Because they do not solve the actual program. Myself, i favor programs like US Vets, which deals with the real problem before trying to actually help the veteran. It is a private non-profit, that has a high success rate in dealing with homeless vets, as long as they follow the rules. And #1 is no drugs or drinking, period. Break that rule and you are back out on the street.

There are a large number of Not for Profit groups in New York that continue to have high success rates, some without VA Grants. The first Shelter on Long Island was established in Pacthogue without government grants. The first group to provide a Homeless Shelter for Vets in NYC was the Salvation Army. Some people in the surrounding area were displeased about the Shelter. The NYC Councilman for the area held a town meeting. All the Veterans Organizations attended the meeting showing full support for the Shelter and told the residents that these are men who understood that they could be maimed or die while serving in our Armed Forces ( not their exact words but the general theme ).

They residents of the surrounding area did a 180 and started donating clothes, bedding and food for the Shelter.

One of my well seasoned Veterans Councilors, visited the shelter a few days a week to help the residents file for benefits and services they were entitled to.

The VA sent in Social Workers to coordinate with VA Hospitals to provide them with Health Care.

When I was a Deputy Director of the NYS Division of Veterans Affairs , I attended a VA meeting in 1994 that included a presentation by US Vets about how they started and where they were at that time.

 

[Mushroom]

There are a large number of Not for Profit groups in New York that continue to have high success rates, some without VA Grants. The first Shelter on Long Island was established in Pacthogue without government grants.

This is what I believe should be done as well. Not the VA itself, but encouraging non-profit organizations as you have described in actually solving the problem itself.

I mentioned US Vets, and they really are a great organization.

U.S.VETS ? Providing Veterans Services including Housing, Job Training, and Counseling

This organization provides shelters in 12 cities in 6 states and DC. They offer not just shelter, but housing (a shelter puts you up for the night, housing gives you a home) as well as food, medical care, job training and employment assistance. Their "Transitional Living" arrangements can even last for the life of the veteran if needed.

There are only a few things you need to get assistance from them. A DD-214 with a discharge other then Bad Conduct or Dishonorable (and they can verify within 48 hours), and be drug and alcohol free for 30 days. And as long as you stay there, you must remain drug and alcohol free.

Yes, I am a veteran. And yes, I have been homeless. And yes, I have stayed with US Vets. I have also worked their outreach and "Veteran Standdown" drives, trying to find more that need assistance.

Of all those that fail the program, drugs and alcohol are definitely the leading reason. This and the inability to verify veteran status are also the major reasons for inability to use their services. In one event we even had a representative from the VA present, who could get DD-214s within 1 day. I would say that 3/4 of those that came forward and claimed to be veterans had never even served. Of the rest, the no drug-no drinking environment drove away 80% of those.

But for those that attended the program, the benefits were pretty good. I was one of 16 that they were able to send to school to get their MCSE, entirely paid for by public donations. Others got training in auto mechanics, catering, construction, and warehousing (not in running a pallet jack, but in running the warehouse itself).

I even remember returning 8 years after I left and meeting the director Dwight again. It rather shocked him to see me back in uniform again, and he asked me to talk to several of the residents who had been thinking of returning to the military also but thought they were to old. I wrote a letter to the facility after I learned of his death a few years later.

Air Force veteran Dwight Radcliff dies at 55; counseled homeless troops

This is a successful program, specifically because it is in many ways like the military. You have to follow the rules, specifically about those in regards to drugs. Fail a drug or alcohol test, and you are out.

But unless these efforts are tied to solving the problem that got the veterans on the street in the first place, they will simply continue to fail, over and over again. It is not shelters that are needed, but transitional living situations that help solve the real cause and helping people rejoin society.

 

[Trajan]

There are a large number of Not for Profit groups in New York that continue to have high success rates, some without VA Grants. The first Shelter on Long Island was established in Pacthogue without government grants.

This is what I believe should be done as well. Not the VA itself, but encouraging non-profit organizations as you have described in actually solving the problem itself.

I mentioned US Vets, and they really are a great organization.

U.S.VETS ? Providing Veterans Services including Housing, Job Training, and Counseling

This organization provides shelters in 12 cities in 6 states and DC. They offer not just shelter, but housing (a shelter puts you up for the night, housing gives you a home) as well as food, medical care, job training and employment assistance. Their "Transitional Living" arrangements can even last for the life of the veteran if needed.

There are only a few things you need to get assistance from them. A DD-214 with a discharge other then Bad Conduct or Dishonorable (and they can verify within 48 hours), and be drug and alcohol free for 30 days. And as long as you stay there, you must remain drug and alcohol free.

Yes, I am a veteran. And yes, I have been homeless. And yes, I have stayed with US Vets. I have also worked their outreach and "Veteran Standdown" drives, trying to find more that need assistance.

Of all those that fail the program, drugs and alcohol are definitely the leading reason. This and the inability to verify veteran status are also the major reasons for inability to use their services. In one event we even had a representative from the VA present, who could get DD-214s within 1 day. I would say that 3/4 of those that came forward and claimed to be veterans had never even served. Of the rest, the no drug-no drinking environment drove away 80% of those.

But for those that attended the program, the benefits were pretty good. I was one of 16 that they were able to send to school to get their MCSE, entirely paid for by public donations. Others got training in auto mechanics, catering, construction, and warehousing (not in running a pallet jack, but in running the warehouse itself).

I even remember returning 8 years after I left and meeting the director Dwight again. It rather shocked him to see me back in uniform again, and he asked me to talk to several of the residents who had been thinking of returning to the military also but thought they were to old. I wrote a letter to the facility after I learned of his death a few years later.

Air Force veteran Dwight Radcliff dies at 55; counseled homeless troops

This is a successful program, specifically because it is in many ways like the military. You have to follow the rules, specifically about those in regards to drugs. Fail a drug or alcohol test, and you are out.

But unless these efforts are tied to solving the problem that got the veterans on the street in the first place, they will simply continue to fail, over and over again. It is not shelters that are needed, but transitional living situations that help solve the real cause and helping people rejoin society.

this-

This is what I believe should be done as well. Not the VA itself, but encouraging non-profit organizations as you have described in actually solving the problem itself.

exactly.

 

[Mushroom]

this-

This is what I believe should be done as well. Not the VA itself, but encouraging non-profit organizations as you have described in actually solving the problem itself.

exactly.

The problem with the VA is that it really does not care. It really is a giant organization that has to take care of millions of people. And they just can't do that.

Plus it suffers from the problem of all to many Government Programs: being handcuffed by things such as "Public Opinion" and fears of being charged with "discrimination". This is why all it can ever really do is put on band aids and not really solve the actual problem.

Hence, it can throw money into training or temporary housing, but it does not really address the drug and alcohol issues that are the main causes of homelessness in people, not just veterans. Because they are "Government", they have to try and solve the problem as the problem, not the actual cause of the problem in the first place.

This is directly opposed to Private organizations, which are able to set their own restrictions and guidelines that people have to follow in order to get their help. Follow their rules, and you get the assistance you need. Do not follow them, and you are back on the street.

It may sound cold, but I for one have no interest in helping people who are not willing to help themselves. That is one of the reasons why our welfare systems are overwhelmed. To many that they are helping simply live off of that help and do not try to solve their own problems. At US Vets, they will even refer people to a temporary 3 month shelter to let people get cleaned up for their 30 days until they can check in. I have even seen people sleep in their cars in the parking lot (where the facility will still give them counseling, food and other assistance while they wait out their "30 days clean" requirement). Oh, and they also do not allow exceptions for "medicinal marijuana" either.

But of those that do check in, probably 50% fail the program because of drugs or alcohol. And some of the veterans I met on the street were so deep into drugs or alcohol that there was simply no way to help them until they got themselves cleaned up. Because somebody who spends their lives craving their next bottle of vodka or the next rock in their crack pipe is pretty much incapable of holding down a real job or saving money to afford housing.

That is why the Government will always fail in this endeavor. Because of the "need to care" they throw money at people who are unable to truly be helped, and leave not enough left for those that just need some assistance getting back on their feet. I tried to get help from the VA when I first landed on the street, and they told me that unless I had (or was willing to say) I had a chemical dependence problem they could not help me. I was on the street for 3 months until a Veterans Representative at the Unemployment office told me about US Vets.

Myself, I think groups like this should be leading the charge in Veterans Homelessness. Several of their facilities are actually located on closed military bases, and I think this is where they should continue to expand if they simply had the money. I see the closed bases all over this country, and many are just left to rot. Others are being picked apart by special interests, being turned into prime housing and commercial interests or parks for yuppies in million dollar homes.

How about turning at least part of these facilities over to organizations that will actually help the Veterans that used to be stationed at those bases, and others like it around the world? I talked to Dwight when I was there 10 years ago what the main problem they had, and he told me it was in finding facilities to use. Their original one was donated to them by Northrop-Grumman, and was the former site of "Northrop University". The housing at Cabrillo (which includes family housing) was part of the Navy Family Housing at the Long Beach Naval Station. Hawaii is on a former Army base. Las Vegas was a closed motel. Central California was a former Air Force Base.

We closed a lot of bases in the past decades. And If I was in Congress I would mandate that at least part of each one be turned over to such a facility. Just driving around San Francisco, there are abandoned Navy bases everywhere. But there are no programs like US Vets there because the land is simply to expensive to make one.

 

[tjvh]

VA Doles Out $100 Million To End Veteran Homelessness

I know sarcasm is lost on the nutty liberals, but here goes....
Really Ludd, a hundred million? How dare the VA provide assistance to homeless people who served there country, it would have been much better to provide 100 million to people for welfare who don't even speak English but are sure to vote Democrat...
Oh wait...

 

[Mushroom]

I know sarcasm is lost on the nutty liberals, but here goes....
Really Ludd, a hundred million? How dare the VA provide assistance to homeless people who served there country, it would have been much better to provide 100 million to people for welfare who don't even speak English but are sure to vote Democrat...
Oh wait...

The shame to me is that this is your typical "Liberal Panacea" which looks good but accomplishes nothing. For some reason, many seem to feel that throwing money at a problem will solve it. And if that does not solve the problem, they simply throw more money at the problem. I guess eventually they think they can drown the problem in a sea of money.

To bad it does not work that way. Just looking at the article tells you how much of a failure this is when you actually read it.

Last year they gave out $60 million to 22,000 veterans. That comes out to $2,727.27 for each Veteran. Does anybody think that solved the problem? Are there any less homeless veterans this year then there were last year?

Nope, did not think so.

This year, they are giving out $100 million to 42,000 veterans. This comes out to even less, $2,380.95 for each veteran. More money in total, less actually going to help each veteran. And guess how many of them will still be homeless (or homeless again) next year?

Next year it will probably be $125 million for 65,000 veterans ($1,923 per veteran). Many will applaud and pat each other on the back and say they are doing a good thing. I will just continue to shake my head sadly, because they don't get it.

*****

As a joke, I often wish there was a "12 Step Program" to help cure Liberals from spending my money on "feel good" efforts that do not actually try to solve the actual problem in the first place.

"Hello, my name is Bill, and I'm a Liberal. I just can't pass by a homeless man in the street and not want to pull out my Government Checkbook and give the guy enough so that he can buy his next high. After all, it is societies fault he is there, and who am I to condemn somebody who so obviously has a problem? And if we all just embraced legalization he would not have a stigma in the first place, so don't you dare criticize me for my decision to give him your money!"

"Bill, calm down, nobody is attacking you. Now have you ever considered giving them your own money? You are a multi-millionaire after all."

"But I can't afford to help them. Besides, I got my money fairly as a lawyer. It was not like I was an industrialist who exploited his workers! Yes, I created no jobs, and got rich on suing Corporations like McBurger who insisted on selling their hot coffee to hot, but I worked hard for that money!"

"Bill, calm down, I was just asking a question..."

 

[regent]

Our government owns 1000's of homes, lets find a good way to get them to the returning vets, they earned them. I don't know what your life is worth but I think my life is worth a lot and they are coming back in bad shape and need our help.

I wonder how many neighborhoods would welcome homeless vets?

Finding housing for Veterans who are homeless has been very successful for over 30 years.
Do some research ass hole.

So the solution is to give a homeless vet a government house and another problem is solved. Have all the vets earned a government house or only the homeless?

 

[Mushroom]

So the solution is to give a homeless vet a government house and another problem is solved. Have all the vets earned a government house or only the homeless?

If that's the case, let me quit my job and live on the street for about 6 months. I could use a free house.

 

[waltky]

Misconduct discharges increase risk of homelessness among veterans...

Study: Troops discharged for misconduct at greater risk of homelessness
August 25, 2015 - Troops separated from military service because of misconduct are far more likely to become homeless than other veterans, a study released Tuesday has found.

Researchers with the Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System in Utah found that more than a quarter of veterans who were homeless at their first Veterans Affairs visit had been separated for misconduct, with a risk for homelessness nearly five times greater than that for troops with normal separations. Researchers had expected to find higher rates of homelessness for veterans with misconduct-related separations — troops discharged because of drug use, unauthorized absences and other misconduct. “But we were surprised at how high the rates were,” said Jamison D. Fargo at Utah State University, one of the authors of the study, which was published in the Aug. 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers analyzed VA records of 448,290 active-duty servicemembers who had been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, separated between 2001 and 2011 and were eligible for and used VA services. About half were from the Army, about two-thirds had had combat exposure, most were men and nearly all were enlisted.

Although only 5.6 percent of the troops — 24,992 — had been separated for misconduct, they represented 25.6 percent of homeless veterans when they first visited the VA, the study found. Within a year, such vets accounted for about 28 percent of the homeless veterans, and within five years, more than 20 percent. The higher percentage of homelessness among those with misconduct-related discharges found within the first year of seeking VA services suggests that “over the course of the year, there are increased difficulties in re-integrating into civilian life and creating a stable living situation and lifestyle,” Fargo said. The length of time a veteran was homeless, or whether there were repeated instances of homelessness, was not captured in the study. Homeless veterans were defined as those who had indicated they were homeless, those who had sought the VA’s housing services or both.

Troops who were dishonorably discharged were not included in the study because that discharge renders them ineligible for VA services. Misconduct-related discharges usually are “other than honorable” or “general.” Previous research on homeless veterans found risk factors such as being male and being younger or older than average, as well as drug or alcohol problems and mental-health issues. “The biggest risk factor is always economic-related,” Fargo said. Rates of homelessness in the study for veterans who had been discharged honorably — from 0.2 percent at the first VA visit to 1.4 percent after five years — were more in keeping with the national rate of homelessness, Fargo said, which hovers at a little less than 1 percent.

Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Howell talks with a homeless veteran about the upcoming 2015 Veterans Stand Down, Aug. 5, 2015. Troops separated from military service because of misconduct are far more likely to become homeless than other veterans, a new study has found.

But for veterans with misconduct-related discharges, the rate was far higher: from 1.3 percent at an initial VA visit to 9.8 percent within five years. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, homeless veterans make up about 12 percent of the adult homeless population. Most are single, live in urban areas and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or other disorders. About 41 percent are between the ages of 31 and 50. “What this study does is help us pinpoint a risk factor,” Fargo said. According to the study authors, the results “represent the strongest risk factor for homelessness among U.S. veterans observed to date.” “It calls for action on the part of the VA and the Department of Defense,” Fargo said. “Policymakers need to address it.”

In 2009, the Obama administration committed to ending veteran homelessness in the U.S. by the end of this year, and those efforts apparently have had success. According a 2014 estimate by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, some 49,933 veterans were homeless on a single night. That estimate represents a 14 percent decline compared with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2013 estimate and a 33 percent decline compared with its 2009 estimate.

Study: Troops discharged for misconduct at greater risk of homelessness

 

[whitehall]

It's not the V.A.'s mission to address homeless people. The V.A. needs to straighten out the medical bureaucracy and offer Veterans quality health care. Maybe later when the Veterans are weeded out from the hopeless homeless alcoholics and drug dealers and they actually seek medical help, the V.A. can put them at the back of the line.

 

[waltky]

Senate panel votes to cut back GI Bill Housing Aid...

Vets Group Criticizes Senate Panel Vote to Curb GI Bill Housing Aid
May 13, 2016 | A veterans group is criticizing a key Senate veterans committee for voting to curb the GI Bill housing allowance.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America on Thursday issued a statement blasting the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee after members approved omnibus legislation that would reduce by 5 percent the Post-9/11 GI Bill housing allowance to pay for other veterans programs. "As Congress quietly passed another bill cutting veterans education benefits, veterans are stuck having to beg for the benefits we earned," IAVA Chief of Staff Allison Jaslow said in a statement. "We fought hard eight years ago to get the Post-9/11 GI Bill passed and we will not quit fighting until Congress protects the benefits being earned on the battlefield as we speak."

The Senate committee, headed by Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia, during a hastily convened session on Thursday afternoon unanimously voted in favor of the legislation, known as the Veterans First Act. The circumstances surrounding the vote also drew criticism from IAVA officials. "In a normal process, they would have published a schedule and said, 'In two or three weeks time, we're having a hearing to mark up this particular bill,'" Jonathan Schleifer, the organization's chief policy officer, said on Friday during a telephone interview with Military.com. "This was done certainly without any notice or warning."

The bill calls for slowing the annual increase to the monthly basic allowance for housing, or BAH, for all recipients of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, including veterans, by 1 percent a year for five years, until 5 percent of the costs are paid for out of pocket -- mirroring the eventual payment for active-duty service members. Service members'BAH is on track to cover only 95 percent of housing costs by 2018 as a result of language previously included in a separate bill called the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA. The GI Bill payments weren't included in that previous reduction. In addition, the Senate legislation significantly differs from another proposal recently passed by the House of Representatives that would reduce by half the monthly housing allowance for children attending college on a parent's education benefit.

House lawmakers supported the move to shore up funding for other programs such as improving postnatal care for female veterans, expanded K-9 therapy for veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder, reauthorizing the VA work-study program and removing the cap onVA home loan guarantees. If the full Senate approves its version of the bill -- a vote could come before Memorial Day -- House and Senate negotiators will convene to iron out differences between the proposals. Isakson said the Senate legislation would expand a VA program to provide assistance to caregivers, strengthening the Veterans Choice Program and create a pilot program to address the delays and massive backlog in VA’s disability claims appeals process.

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