Peters Applauds Funding for New State Veterans Homes in Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, today applauded federal funding to support the construction of new veterans’ homes in Michigan. The new State Veterans Home in Chesterfield Township in Metro Detroit will receive $46,150,172 and the new State Veterans Home in Grand Rapids will receive $40,929,890. The investment will come from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) State Home Construction Grant Program, which Senator Peters has consistently advocated full funding for on a bipartisan basis.

“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.”

State Veterans Homes are facilities that are operated by state governments and partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide nursing home, domiciliary and adult day care services to veterans with special medical needs, including thousands of elderly veterans. Federal funds provided by the State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program allow states to make critical facility upgrades or construct new facilities to serve aging veteran populations.

Michigan is currently home to two State Veterans Homes in Marquette and Grand Rapids. The Chesterfield Township veterans home is currently under construction, and a new veterans home is under construction in Grand Rapids. Peters attended the groundbreaking of the veterans home in Chesterfield Township last October.

Peters has long been an advocate in Congress for Michigan’s servicemembers and veterans. He has led bipartisan efforts to secure robust funding for the VA State Home Construction Grant Program, including this year. In February, Peters helped reintroduce bipartisan legislation to improve burial services for our nation’s veterans by increasing funeral benefits offered through the VA. Peters was also able to get signed into law his bipartisan Fairness for Veterans amendment that allows veterans with a bad paper discharge resulting from behavior caused by PTSD to petition for an upgrade in their discharge status, which would grant them access to benefits such as VA home loans and educational grants provided by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

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