For more than 13 years, the National Association of Black Veterans (NABVETS) has been a true ally not only to veterans and the community, but also to Devil Dog USA. Today, I am excited to announce that the package I submitted several weeks ago to NABVETS Chapter #0029 regarding the Corporal Yegor Zubarev Veterans Bill has advanced to the next phase of review. We expect to know later this month whether the national organization will officially sponsor the bill.

As I have continued speaking with organizations, elected officials, and government agencies throughout New York City, our network of veteran advocates and liaisons across the country has been helping bring attention to the cause. I have been fortunate to have members of local NABVETS chapters join me in advancing this project. Without their support, guidance, and encouragement, this effort would not have progressed as quickly as it has.

My relationship with NABVETS goes back many years. In 2014, I was attempting to organize what would become my largest Student Veteran Homelessness Town Hall Meeting at Fordham University. At the time, various obstacles threatened to delay the event. Devil Dog USA had not yet received its 501(c)(3) designation due to federal government delays, and it appeared the event might not move forward.

That was when NABVETS Chapter #0029 stepped in.

Under the leadership of Commander Leroy Archibald, NABVETS agreed to sponsor the event, allowing it to proceed as planned. The town hall brought together veterans, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and elected officials, laying the foundation for years of advocacy work that followed.

Three years later, New York City passed Local Law 119, making it illegal to discriminate against veterans who use Post-9/11 GI Bill housing benefits as a source of income for housing. New York State later expanded similar protections statewide under the Human Rights Act. Both measures were among the first of their kind in the nation.

Today, after years of building relationships and support networks across the country, we are now working toward the next chapter. With the potential sponsorship of the Corporal Yegor Zubarev Veterans Bill by an organization as respected as NABVETS, I believe we are closer than ever to closing the gap that continues to contribute to student veteran homelessness and barriers to housing for those who have served our nation.