The Department of Veterans Affairs just released a survey designed to implement its congressional mandate to promote financial and credit counseling to America’s veteran population that is at greatest risk of homelessness. AMBA has been collaborating with the VA on this survey and is pleased to recommend it for your completion.
In its July 2023 notice seeking public comment on this survey, the VA described its purpose as follows:
Section 313 of the Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement (Cleland-Dole) Act of 2022 requires the VA to conduct a study on financial and credit counseling by querying financial and credit counselors, homeless programs providers, and subject matter experts regarding the use of financial and credit counseling services. The intent of this study is to identify financial and credit counseling needs of Veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness, the financial and credit counseling services offered to these Veterans, the specific barriers that these Veterans have in accessing these financial and credit counseling services,, and the effects of financial and credit counseling services on such outcomes as employment, housing status, income, and credit score. The information collected will be used to inform VA policy makers, program managers, and process improvement investigators about how to enhance financial and credit counseling services that are offered to Veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The results of this study, which will not include personally identifiable information about the individual respondents, will be shared with Congress via a congressionally mandated report.
As most of you are aware, AMBA’s Veterans Benefits Banking Program partnership with VA is now in its fifth year. Two years ago, we added free financial and credit counseling to the services VBBP provides all veterans. As a bank dedicated to serving your military and veteran communities, your inputs to this survey process will inform and direct VA’s future efforts. We invite you to complete the survey, which can be found here: https://varedcap.rcp.vaec.va.gov/redcap/surveys/?s=8MXPECKRJR99N3T8&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
STEVEN J. LEPPER
Major General, USAF (Ret.)
President & CEO
Association of Military Banks of America