It was announced yesterday that all three of Minnesota’s new State Veterans Homes will receive federal funding this year. The project includes homes in three locations: Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, these three projects are currently slated to receive more than $80 million in federal VA funds.  

Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) released the following statement commemorating the occasion:

“Back in 2018, the Legislature funded their portion of these projects, and since then, it has seemed like an uphill battle to get the federal government to hold up their end of the funding, but yesterday we got the great news that it’s finally happening and the funding will be awarded this year,” said Sen. Howe. “Our veterans have made tremendous sacrifices to defend our country, and they should be recognized and honored and funding these homes will help further that cause.”

In 2018, the Legislature’s Bonding bill included $33 million in state funding for these veteran homes, and a resolution was authored in 2019 calling on the federal government to fund their share of the projects.