NYC veterans’ portal plagued by tech failuers, oversight problems: NYC comptroller report – amNewYork

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The Department of Veterans’ Services’  (DVS) VetConnectNYC portal is riddled with problems, including tech failures, procurement delays and poor vendor oversight—raising concerns about the city’s ability to modernize the system, according to a new report from NYC Comptroller Mark Levine’s office.
Launched in 2018, VetConnectNYC is an online portal connecting the Big Apple’s approximately 122,700 vets with housing, employment and other important services. For DVS, which has just 36 employees, according to the report and an annual budget of $6.1 million, according to the report, the portal was created to provide a reliable way to help the city’s veterans, particularly as more than of them are currently 65 or older.
However, the review found that the system is struggling. More than $2 million has been spent on the portal since it was launch less than a decade ago, while the city went through vendors and experienced lengthy delays. According to the report, after two vendors’ engagements expired, DVS operated the portal through Microsoft Forms for more than a year. The agency contracted with Combined Arms in Sept. 2024, but the vendor did not reactivate VetConnectNYC until July 2025, well after the contractually required launch date.
In early 2026, veterans reported being unable to log in despite using correct credentials, while DVS staff sometimes could not access service requests. Requests were also sometimes routed to the wrong employees or failed to reach anyone, supervisory staff lacked access to areas they oversee and case statuses sometimes changed without explanation, Levine’s report explained.
“New York City owes our veterans more than gratitude – we owe them a government that works,” Levine said. “The VetConnectNYC review is the latest chapter in the never-ending saga of city systems that are outdated, fail to perform, or rely too heavily on third parties with little oversight. New York City has a mandate to bring our systems into the 21st Century, and VetConnectNYC is a ripe target to do that.”
amNewYork contacted DVS to ask for comment on the review and to find out if the problems will be rectified soon, and is awaiting a response. 
In the meantime, Levine said the agency agreed with his office’s recommendations, which include stronger enforcement of vendor requirements, annual performance evaluations, improved performance metrics and regular feedback from veterans and service providers. 
Barbara Russo-Lennon is a digital editor at amNewYork.
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