WXMI FOX 17 West Michigan: U.S. Senator applauds federal funding for new veterans’ homes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On this Fourth of July, a Michigan U.S. senator is applauding the federal funding that was recently made available to fuel construction of a 128-bed State Veterans Home in Grand Rapids, as well as one in Macomb County.

Ground was broken in Grand Rapids in May.

Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters said in a news release Wednesday the construction project for the state-of-the-art home in Grand Rapids will receive just under $41 million from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) State Home Construction Grant Program.

The veterans’ home in Macomb County’s Chesterfield Township will get $46.1 million. The State of Michigan is chipping in $22 million for the Grand Rapids home and $30 million for the home in Macomb County.

“Veterans and their families have sacrificed so much for our country, and it’s critical that we support them after their service,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I’m pleased that these funds will support the construction of state-of-the-art facilities that can provide specialized care for our nation’s heroes. I will continue working across the aisle to support State Veterans Homes and ensure they receive full funding.”

Sen. Peters is a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Both of the state veterans’ homes are under construction. According to MichiganVeterans.com, the $63 million construction project at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans campus is anticipated to be completed by May 2021. The one in Macomb County also is slated for completion in 2021.

The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans has come under scrutiny for various reasons in recent years, including how it handles finances.