WASHINGTON – To ensure state veterans homes in North Carolina remain comfortable, safe residences, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is awarding a grant of $2 million and approving a land transfer to the state facility in Salisbury.
"This grant and land transfer signify our strong and visible commitment to care for the men and women of North Carolina who served in uniform," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake.
VA’s grant will pay for construction of a parking lot and a steam and chilled water utility plant at the Salisbury veterans home. VA’s grant covers up to 65 percent of the $3 million total cost of the upgrade.
VA will also transfer approximately 2.4 acres to the state of North Carolina, upon which the new construction will be built. The land to be transferred is currently part of the VA Medical Center in Salisbury.
The Salisbury facility, along with a state-run veterans home in Fayetteville, is open to veterans who received a military discharge rated “under honorable conditions.” To be eligible, veterans must have been state residents for 24 months before applying.
This year, VA expects to spend $2.5 billion in North Carolina to serve that state’s 774,000 veterans. VA operates four major medical centers in the state, seven community-based outpatient clinics, four nursing homes and five Vet Centers.
More information about North Carolina veterans homes is available by contacting the North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs at (919) 733-3851 or visiting the Internet at www.ncveterans.net/nursinghomes.htm.
