Kings Point, N.Y. - On Friday, August 23, Representative Steve Israel (D-NY) hosted a summit at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) to discuss the issue of homelessness among veterans and solutions to combat it. Before the start of the session, he had a tour of the Academy’s capital improvements and met with his nominee midshipmen in front of Melville Hall where the summit took place.

Rear Admiral James A. Helis, Ph.D., superintendent at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, introduced the congressman at the summit. According to the Veteran Administration, more than 60,000 veterans were homeless on any given night in 2012, representing roughly 13% of entire homeless population. Congressman Israel moderated a panel discussion and welcome feedback from various stakeholders for a solution to address this important issue.