On Tuesday, members of the Minnesota Legislative Advisory Commission sent a letter to Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) Commissioner Myron Frans approving the agency’s plans to spend pending federal grant funds for the construction of veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston. Per state law, the Legislative Advisory Commission is authorized to review and grant requests by state agencies for the use of federal funds.

“There isn’t a veterans home within 100 miles of any of these cities – it is a disservice to the hundreds of homeless and at-risk veterans out there who need help,” said Senate Finance Chair Julie Rosen (R-Vernon Center). “We already approved Minnesota’s share of the costs for these three veterans homes; once the feds approve their share, we have a duty to get shovels in the ground as fast as possible.”

In 2018, the legislature passed $32 million in state funding for the construction of new veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston. Combined with local matching funds, the state’s contribution represents approximately 35 percent of the total construction costs. In March, after extensive community input and fundraising, the state submitted its grant application to secure the remaining federal funds. The pre-design stage is currently underway for each planned home, with the homes expected to be fully operational and occupied by early 2022.