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Interim veteran service officer outlines 2024 benefit gains, outreach and housing supports
Summary
Aaron, Marathon County’s interim veteran service officer, reported more than $3.5 million in new monetary awards to local veterans in 2024, described programs reducing veteran homelessness and said the office will focus on outreach and an office move in 2025.
The Marathon County Health & Human Services Committee heard an introduction of Aaron, the interim veteran service officer, and a summary of 2024 benefit activity showing significant new monetary awards to local veterans.
Administrator Leonard introduced Aaron to the committee and noted the veterans office brings benefits into the county and stimulates the local economy. Aaron said the office helped secure roughly $3,500,000 in new monetary awards in 2024—amounts that represent back pay or newly adjudicated benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—and that much of that money is spent locally by veterans and their families.
Aaron explained the bulk of the 2024 increase represented back pay tied to corrections in VA processing that reached back to 2002. He described how the office secures an “intent to file” date for claims and that the reported monetary awards largely reflect back pay from the date of filing to the VA’s adjudication date. Aaron said he will pursue additional metrics—such as monthly ongoing compensation flows—working with county administration staff.
The committee discussed veteran homelessness and housing assistance programs. Aaron and partners reported that HUD‑VASH vouchers and local provider Center for Veterans Issues (CVI) are active in the county; Aaron said HUD‑VASH currently has about 34 vouchers in the county. He noted that coordination with regional and statewide resources helps prevent veteran homelessness, and that local providers and referral networks (VORP, VHRP, CVI) play important roles.
Aaron said the veterans office increased its maximum emergency assistance for eligible veterans from $700 to $1,000 to reflect rising housing costs. Administrator Leonard said the office will relocate to the Lakeview campus in 2025 as part of facility consolidation and that the administration will consider whether additional staffing is needed to maintain services.
Committee members asked about tours of the new outpatient clinic and about outreach to identify veterans who need services; Aaron said the office maintains an email roster of roughly 750 veterans for notifications and is working on broader outreach strategies.
