A Rio Grande Valley congressman announced Friday that $1,684,497 had been allocated for the State Veterans Home in McAllen under the American Rescue Plan.
“I am proud to bring this relief home and provide additional resources to improve care for those who served our country,” U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, said in a news release Friday.
As part of the American Rescue Plan, $250 million has been provided to help states improve the conditions of state veteran homes throughout the nation.
To ensure residents continue to receive high quality care, live in modern, safe facilities and stay protected from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Veterans Affairs will make grants totaling $1 billion to state veteran homes operated across the country.
Of the funds, $500 million will be allocated to provide grants through the current capital grant program for construction of state veterans homes.
An additional $150 million in federal virus relief funding will be designated to grants used for capital needs of construction funds. In an effort to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 these funds will be used to modify buildings to prepare, prevent or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another $250 million will be used for grants related to operating needs based on the state’s share of total veteran residents in nursing homes and domiciliary care.
According to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, $100 million will be designated to grants used for emergency payments to existing state veterans homes to prevent, prepare and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Texas Veterans have sacrificed so much for our great nation and it’s critical that the Veterans who call our communities home receive the quality care they deserve,” said George P. Bush, Texas Veterans Land Board chairman and land commissioner. “We welcome this federal grant money to McAllen and are excited to provide additional support for our Veterans.”
