Yearly, on Memorial Day, we honor those that served our nation and gave their lives to guard it. As an emblem of freedom across the globe, New York Metropolis will all the time get up and salute those that defend our nation and our values.
We’re dwelling to over 210,000 veterans and as a metropolis that was attacked by overseas enemies on 9/11, we bear a particular duty to not solely honor those that gave the last word sacrifice, however to assist those that returned dwelling. No veteran or army household ought to need to do it on their very own.
This week, we kicked off “Veterans and Service Members’ Week” — coinciding with nationwide Navy Appreciation Month — by asserting a collection of strategic initiatives to assist New York Metropolis veterans entry job alternatives, reasonably priced housing, and homeownership.
First, we renewed our name to cross the Chilly Warfare Veterans Property Tax, which might carry property tax reduction to veterans who served honorably during times of peacetime. New York Metropolis stays the one main tax jurisdiction in New York state to not have adopted this veteran property tax exemption, and we’re combating to proper this mistaken. That is tax reduction that 11,000 eligible Chilly Warfare-era veteran householders want now and would put $938 again into their pockets.
Second, we’re guaranteeing that veterans and their households can personal a house. We all know that there’s nothing like having a key to a spot you’ll be able to name your personal. A house is extra than simply 4 partitions and a roof, it’s a place to unlock the American Dream and construct a life. By way of a partnership with the Hebrew Mortgage Society and the State of New York Mortgage Company, we’re increasing curiosity free loans to offer entry to reasonably priced properties to our veterans.
We’re additionally simplifying housing entry for our veterans with disabilities. We’re eradicating layers of paperwork and pink tape and streamlining the NYC Housing Join utility course of to make it simpler to entry housing. Below the revised coverage, veterans making use of for reasonably priced housing via NYC Housing Join can now have their incapacity standing licensed instantly by a supervisor at both the New York Metropolis Division of Veterans’ Companies or the U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs (VA). Our veterans with fight wounds deserve entry to reasonably priced housing and we’re giving it to them.
Lastly, we’re making it simpler for our veterans to get good-paying jobs and careers that assist their households. Since January 2025, our administration has offered direct and customized assist to just about 100 veterans navigating complicated transitions, together with many impacted by federal workforce reductions. A veterans’ uniform shouldn’t disqualify them from a profession, and thru one-on-one assist, job matching, and expertise translation, we’re offering them with a pathway to the roles they deserve.
To assist applications like these, and as a part of our “Best Budget Ever,” we’re including over $1 million {dollars} to the Division of Veterans’ Companies to offer a stronger security internet for our veterans and their households.
This week, we additionally unveiled the working design idea for New York Metropolis’s post-9/11 fallen servicemember memorial — “Flames of Honor” — the primary memorial to pay tribute to post-9/11 servicemembers in a serious metropolis. It is going to be a sacred house for reminiscence, mourning, training, and quiet reflection alongside the water’s edge in Whitestone, Queens. Queens is dwelling to the most important variety of post-9/11 servicemembers who have been killed in motion, and this memorial will honor their sacrifice.
Lastly, we’re happy to announce that subsequent 12 months, for the primary time in additional than a era, we’re going to honor our post-9/11 fight veterans and their households with a ticker tape parade on the streets of the best metropolis on the earth. On July 6, 2026, the ‘Homecoming of Heroes’ parade will give our veterans the homecoming they by no means acquired, and the celebration they’ve all the time deserved.
Our metropolis and our nation have endured due to those that gave their final measure of devotion defending the American Dream. It’s due to these courageous women and men that we will cherish probably the most valuable present we now have: our freedom. We should do all we will to honor these patriots and assist those that returned dwelling. This Memorial Day weekend, we are saying thanks to our veterans, servicemembers, and army households. Right this moment, and all the time, New York Metropolis has your again.
Adams is the mayor of New York Metropolis and Hendon is the commissioner of the New York Metropolis Division of Veterans’ Companies and a U.S. Military veteran.
