Devil Dog USA Incorporated, which works to help reintegrate veterans back into their communities, announced the launch of the Corporal Yegor Zubarev Veterans Housing, Citizenship and Mental Health Access Bill, a legislative effort meant to assist veterans in a variety of ways.
The Corporal Yegor Zubarev Veterans Bill is designed to eliminate housing discrimination against student veterans, expedite the naturalization process for honorably discharged non-citizen veterans and streamline mental health grant administration for organizations that serve veterans.
The bill is named after Yegor Zubarev, who immigrated to the United States from Russia as a young man. After excelling in high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. In 2010, he became a U.S. citizen. Zubarev was a legal services specialist with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group Staff Judge Advocate Office.
After finishing his service, Zubarev earned degrees from Fordham University and Columbia Law School. However, he experienced homelessness in 2013 as a result of landlords refusing to recognize his Post 9/11 G.I. Bill housing allowance as legitimate income.
Devil Dog USA Incorporated Founder and Chief Executive Officer Gonzalo Duran, who also served in the U.S. Military, encountered the same issue in 2011 after completing his service. He noted that many other veterans have faced homelessness after landlords refused to accept G.I. Bill benefits. Since a large portion of this group moved between temporary arrangements rather than entering the shelter system, the cycle of instability often went unrecorded.
Not long after Duran met Zubarev and heard his story in 2013, the two partnered to publicly advocate for reform, helping to bring national media attention to the issue. Their efforts helped lead to the passage of New York City Local Law 119 in 2017, which strengthened the Human Rights Law to recognize G.I. Bill housing allowances as lawful income in New York City.
The Corporal Yegor Zubarev Veterans Bill seeks to ensure G.I. Bill housing allowances are recognized as lawful income nationwide.
The bill would prohibit landlords and housing providers across the country from refusing to rent to veterans solely because they receive housing allowances under chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, commonly known as the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, provide priority naturalization processing under the Immigration and Nationality Act for eligible non-citizen veterans who were honorably discharged and streamline reporting requirements and reimbursement timelines for veteran mental health grant programs to ensure timely access to care.
No new entitlements or increases in taxpayer spending would be created from the Corporal Yegor Zubarev Veterans Bill. Duran noted the legislation was mainly about accountability, fairness and fulfilling commitments made to those who wore the uniform.
“Local reform proved change is possible,” Duran said. “National reform ensures that change is permanent.”
Duran said he decided to name the bill in honor of Zubarev, who died at 33 years of age in December 2020, after Zubarev’s mother asked him to make sure her son’s story was fully told. This bill is meant to be part of that promise.
