Senators Shaheen, Hassan Applaud VA Announcement of $1 Billion for State Veterans Homes from American Rescue Plan, CARES Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs commended the announcement that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will provide $1 billion in grants for State Veterans Homes. Congress provided the funding for these grants as part of the broader COVID-19 relief included in the American Rescue Plan and CARES Act that Senators Shaheen and Hassan worked to pass into law.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a tremendous and devastating toll on the New Hampshire Veterans Home, with residents, staff and family members suffering from heartbreaking losses over the past year. My thoughts continue to be with those who are grappling with the grief and sorrow of having lost a loved one during this outbreak,” Senator Shaheen said. “Every effort must be made to protect the health and well-being of residents and staff, which is exactly what these VA grants will help do. That’s why I supported this funding during negotiations and fought so hard for passage of the American Rescue Plan. Ensuring our veterans get the resources and support they need to stay safe and weather this crisis is my top priority in the Senate, and I’ll be working to ensure the New Hampshire Veterans Home receives these federal dollars as swiftly as possible.”

“My heart continues to break for the families and friends of the veterans we lost at the New Hampshire State Veterans Home this past year and the dedicated workers who put their own safety at risk to try to save lives,” Senator Hassan said. “We must ensure that our State Veterans Home and those across the country have the resources that they need to protect their residents and prevent such a tragic loss of life from occurring again – and these federal funds should make a real difference. Our country’s veterans served on behalf of each of us, and we must continue to support them throughout their entire lives.”

The grants being made by the VA include:

• $500 million from the American Rescue Plan to provide grants through the current capital grant program for construction of State Veterans homes. 
• $250 million from the American Rescue Plan for grants related to operating needs based on each state’s share of total Veteran residents in nursing homes and domiciliary care. 
• $150 million from the CARES Act for grants for capital needs for construction funds to modify buildings to prepare, prevent or respond in order to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.  
• $100 million designated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, for grants for emergency payments to existing State Veterans Homes to prevent, prepare and respond to COVID-19.