va principal deputy undersecretary for health. he leaves programs for the veterans of the administration. he has been a longtime leader with the va and is responsible for implementing a broad reforms in the delivery of specialty and emergency care and have significantly improved the quality of care provided across the va health care system. [applause] >> thank you. it is my pleasure to be here. thank you for that nice introduction. i have to get this fixed. as a cardiologists, i still see patients. that is the most important thing i do. it helps to give me the perspective of how to make things better. let me thank the salvation army for hosting us today. this is a wonderful opportunity. i like to recognize the elected officials as of everybody has already done. i think this is a very important statement, the fact that you are here today. it means a lot to this community and us. it is a statement about the kind of support there is for ending veteran homelessness. the folks who have put this together have done a fantastic job. there is little i can say that would add anything to the probable

that there are many who sleep better at night knowing that you're doing your good work at the va administration. it is a real pleasure to be here for this auspicious occasion, here with major league and leader pelosi -- with mayor lee and a leader pelosi and all of our veterans. as it is said, it takes a village, in the village has come together today to support the work of the veterans administration in this five-year plan to end veterans joblessness. leader pelosi, you're certainly aren't point when you are advocating for the public option in our health care reform last year. weren't need look no further than the veterans administration to see a public option in healthcare provision so successfully operating, with lower cost, better health care outcomes, and specifically with a much lower administrative cost than we see are in the private health insurance world. so thank you for that voice. i know that we will be returning to it at some point or another, because that is where the solution is going to be. the statistics speak for themselves. whereas around 9% of our population can claim to be

va hospital and many services are also nearby. jeremy served with a marines in iraq. >> services, medical services, importantly rehabilitation. they're here. >> former loems veteran started the shelter in a partner swhip a veteran's administrationoviding a building and grant money. now, va says 150 residents here must move out by the end of december. the building will be torn down because it is unsafe. those close-knit veterans don't want to leave. ed mack fought in vietnam. >> this is a clean and sober environment. we're going to lose that. that is the worst thing that can happen now. >> among these here, a world war ii veteran, 95 years old. >> it's real hard to beat the procedure that they have get people that are really in desperate need. >> today, social workers visited to begin relocating them to other facilities. >> none of them, none of them will end up on the street. >> veterans are skeptical. >> promises are made to be kbrong. now, it's been broken. >> the va spokes spernz they've extended a deadline over several years. now, this is it. but there is one ray of hope for the residents. er win says he's found an apartment building could house most of the vets. he's hoping to close the deal by march. we asked him if the v