Idaho to Receive VA Grant Opportunity to Build a 4th State Veterans Home in Post Falls
Post Falls, ID – Idaho Division of Veterans Services has been notified that Idaho will receive a grant opportunity in federal FY 2019 to establish a fourth State Veterans Home in Post Falls, Idaho. The other three State Veterans Homes are in Boise, Pocatello, and Lewiston.

“The effort to build a fourth State Veterans Home in north Idaho is all about improving our veterans’ quality of life by providing them a safe, home-like environment. They deserve our commitment to this project,” Governor Brad Little said. “Thank you to the many partners who continue to press forward in making the Post Falls Veterans Home a reality, including the Veterans groups, Idaho Division of Veterans Services, federal government, businesses, locally elected leadership, and our state legislators.”

The fourth State Veterans Home will be located on 7.3 acres of land donated in May 2019 by the Jacklin Land Company to the State of Idaho specifically for the establishment of a 4th Veterans Home. This property is adjacent to BioPol Laboratory and Buck Knives, and the new State Veterans Home will create a nice transition between this industrial zone to the west and the current residential housing directly to the east. Preliminary construction costs for the proposed fourth veterans home are estimated at $49 million, with approximately $31 million of that covered by the federal government. IDVS will use funds already set aside in the Veterans Recognition Funds to cover its 35% match and non-allowable costs, approximately $18 million. IDVS' FY20 budget included spending authority for the grant.

Tracy Schaner, Deputy Chief Administrator of the Idaho Division of Veterans Services, provided the following statement:
This is a day that I’ve been looking forward to for a longtime now and I was absolutely elated when I received the official notification from our federal VA partners that Idaho is receiving a grant fund opportunity in federal fiscal year 2019. As a nation, we owe a debt of gratitude to our Veterans who deserve the best care possible. This funding will provide our northern Idaho Veterans with just that, and they deserve nothing less. We are sincerely grateful for the support received from the Kootenai County communities and their leaders who have all been instrumental in making this project a reality. These include but are not limited to former Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin; former Vice President of Community 1st Bank and current Managing Member of Financial and Real Estate Consulting, LLC Len Crosby; former Senator Robert Nonini; CEO of Riverbend Commerce Park Tom Stoeser; and current Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson. Most notably, the appreciation and gratitude towards the Jacklin Family for their ongoing support, generosity and philanthropy is nothing short of heartwarming. The Jacklin Land Company's generous donation of land will make a difference in the lives of so many of north Idaho's Veterans and their families for decades to come.

The State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program is a more than 50-year-old partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and States to construct nursing home, domiciliary, and/or adult day health care facilities. The program is authorized in Title 38 United States Code (USC) Section 8131-8137 and regulated in Title 38 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 59. VA may participate in up to 65 percent of the cost of construction or acquisition of State nursing homes or domiciliaries or for renovations to existing State Homes. Funding for the program has averaged $94 million per fiscal year over the past five years. A State Home is owned and operated by the State. VA assures Congress that State Homes provide quality care through inspections, audits, and reconciliation of records conducted by the State Home program managers and the VA medical center of jurisdiction. Under a separate program, VA also provides per diem payments to States for the care of eligible veterans in State Homes. There are approximately 153 State Veterans Homes in 50 states and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico with over 30,000 total beds available to eligible Veterans and spouses.

Marv Hagedorn, Chief Administrator of the Idaho Division of Veterans Services, praised the work of his team. “I am proud of the work team IDVS has done to secure this grant for the state of Idaho, and for northern Idaho's Veterans. The work of my Deputy Chief Tracy Schaner and Financial Officer Debbie Spence particularly stand out.”