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Problems persist for military tenants, V.A. patients

Help is on the way for military tenants with housing problems. Plus, the V.A. director promised improvements on wait times and staff vacancies.

NORFOLK, Va. — In 2019, two military stories stick out, and, sadly, not in a good way. 

They affect thousands of people in Hampton Roads, and both have to do with poor customer service.

First, there were on-going problems with privatized military housing.

Mold, asbestos, lead paint, water damage, pest infestations, the list went on and one.

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At hearing after hearing, all the tenants of privatized military housing really wanted was an apology, but they didn't really get one. 

That is until executives for the five companies which manage the properties across the country got grilled on Capitol Hill. Then, they said they're sorry.

Among those apologizing was Lincoln Military Housing CEO Jarl Bliss. 

At a hearing in December, he said: "It's obvious some of our families feel we have come up short. As the president of the organization, I apologize to our military families for the times we have failed to live up to expectations."

At year's end, the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act enacted needed reforms to make the companies more responsive and military leadership more engaged.

"In the private sector, nobody managing an apartment complex would have a tenant move out and then not doing anything to clean or repair the unit before the new tenant moved in," said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) "Because if they did that, their occupancy rates would plummet."

Meanwhile, over in Hampton, at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, chronic problems persisted. 

As of early December, the wait time at Hampton for primary care was 42 days, and staff vacancies stood at 720.

"We've had this same press availability four or five times over the last seven or eight years where we've been here with this exact same issues. These veterans deserve more timely care," said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) following a December meeting with Hampton V.A. Medical Center Director David Collins. 

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Warner added, "These veterans deserve more timely care."

In an interview in October, Collins told 13 News Now that with impending  V.A. Human Resources enhancements, the current 90-to-120 day hiring process will speed up. 

"Once these changes and modernizations take place, I think that'll be the turning point, once we'll be able to get people on board faster," he said.

Collins vowed in December that within 90 days there would be improvements. Warner promised to hold him to it.

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