Marine Veteran and Bronx native launching petition for passage of bill protecting veterans from homelessness before Veterans Day

Devil Dog USA Inc. CEO, Bronx native and U.S. Marine Veteran Gonzalo Duran will be launching a national legislative campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 10, aimed at honoring the legacy of the late U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Corporal Yegor Zubarev, who had fought to keep fellow service members housed.

Zubarev was a driving force for veterans across the Bronx and New York City as a whole from 2013 to 2016. After experiencing homelessness in 2013 due to landlords not recognizing his Post 9/11 G.I. Bill housing allowance as legitimate income, Zubarev began sharing his personal struggles, organizing veteran town halls and testifying before legislators.

Yegor Zubarev became an advocate for protecting United States military veterans from homelessness after he experienced homelessness not long after he completed his service. Photo courtesy of Gonzalo Duran

Zubarev would go on to assist in drafting the framework for NYC Local Law 119 in 2017, which called for an amendment to the city’s administrative code in relation to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of uniformed service and New York State Executive Law 291 in 2018, which declares that the opportunity to obtain employment, education, housing, commercial space and public accommodations without discrimination is a civil right.

The passage of NYC Local Law 119 made landlords recognize the Post-9/11 GI Bill housing stipend as credible income, thus removing a major barrier for veterans.

Duran will be joined by local veterans and community advocates as a national petition is launched to support the passage of the Corporal Yegar Zubarev Bill, which is meant to protect veterans in the United States against source of income discrimination and protect them from homelessness, at 1403 Prospect Ave one day before Veterans Day. During this rally, Duran and other guest speakers will share their own personal stories.

After Zubarev died at 32 years of age on Dec. 14, 2020, his mother asked Duran to “Let them know who he was,” as he prepared to speak at Zubarev’s eulogy.

The proposed law was named in memory of Yegor Zubarev, who died in 2020 at just 32 years of age. Photo courtesy of Gonzalo Duran

“Yegor spent years fighting to make sure veterans in New York had a roof over their heads while they pursued their education,” Duran said. “Taking his fight to the national stage is how we honor his life, keep our promise to his mother and protect the stability and well-being of every veteran returning home.”