Overview:
Veterans in Texas are facing a flawed system that fails to provide the support and resources they deserve. The Dallas Veterans Affairs Commission meets weekly to address concerns but is often sparsely attended, indicating a long-eroded trust. Financial mismanagement and lack of oversight are also major issues, with system failures and inaccurate cost tracking hurting veterans at every turn. Our Fight at Home series will continue throughout the summer, amplifying voices and calling on leaders to answer for their actions or silence.
For many Texas veterans, the toughest fight isn’t overseas—it’s right here at home.
Our Fight at Home is a new investigative series from Dallas Weekly, aimed at exposing the cracks, complications, and corruption in the veteran support system in Texas. From broken financial pipelines to untracked penal system cases, we’re digging deep into the local and national issues keeping our veterans from accessing the benefits they’ve earned.
We’re starting in our own backyard—Dallas, TX—where the barriers to stability for veterans are rising as fast as the city’s skyline.
Who’s Really Telling “Whoppers”
On February 20, 2025, VA Secretary Doug Collins released a video statement addressing a surge of what he called “whoppers”—misinformation circulating about cuts to veteran health care and benefits.
Speaking directly from his office, Collins firmly denied rumors that VA health services were being reduced, emphasizing that the department had safeguarded 300,000 mission-critical positions and reallocated nearly $98 million toward care and services. He also assured the public that no Veteran Crisis Line responders had been laid off, reaffirming the department’s commitment to mental health support.
But while the messaging from Washington is resolute, veterans on the ground in Texas tell a more complicated story.
They served this country with honor. But after the uniforms come off and the flags are folded, too many veterans in Texas are left to navigate a system that remains deeply flawed—one that often fails to provide the support, resources, and dignity they deserve. From long waitlists at VA clinics to the rising number of homeless veterans sleeping in cars or shelters, the need is growing, and the gaps are glaring. This isn’t just a data story—it’s a human one. And it’s unfolding every day in our South Dallas neighborhoods.
“They treat veterans in Texas too badly for the resources we have,” says 20-year Air Force veteran Lakeydra Houston. Working closely with local veterans, Houston has seen firsthand the trauma, sexual violence, and institutional neglect affecting those who return home from service. For her, the system is not just inefficient—it’s actively failing.
Each Thursday at 11 a.m., the Dallas Veterans Affairs Commission (VAC) meets in City Hall basements. These meetings are designed to be a platform for veterans to voice their concerns and seek change. Yet they are often sparsely attended—evidence of a long-eroded trust and a growing sense of futility among those who feel repeatedly ignored.
The Veterans Affairs Commission: Promises vs. Practice
In the following weeks, our team will attend the VAC meetings to better understand how this agency is functioning—and whether it’s living up to its promises. As we’ve heard from Houston and others, many question whether the commission truly delivers for the veterans it claims to serve.
The Dollars Are Disappearing
Consider this: Just last week on June 26, Army veteran Raymond Rodriguez received $17,000 in repairs to his home thanks to the HAVEN grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. But just days later, the program ran out of funds. Rodriguez was one of the lucky ones.
Others, who are equally qualified, are left with nothing but unanswered emails and expired hopes.
Follow the Money—and the Accountability
Where does the money go? And more importantly—who is watching it?
Advocates and watchdogs are raising alarms over financial mismanagement and lack of oversight across various veteran programs. Even the VA’s core financial systems are so outdated that critical payments are delayed or lost entirely. A recent GAO report concluded that system failures and inaccurate cost tracking are hurting veterans at every turn.
What Comes Next
Our Fight at Home will continue throughout the summer with in-depth reporting on Dallas’s veteran service infrastructure—housing, healthcare, financial support, and more. We will amplify voices too long ignored and call on leaders to answer for their actions—or their silence.
Because when our veterans come home, they deserve more than folded flags and fading promises. They deserve care. They deserve dignity. They deserve truth.
Follow the series at DallasWeekly.com and join the conversation using #OurFightAtHome