Washington, DC— U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today announced that the State of South Dakota will receive a federal grant of $21.4 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs to help construct a new state veterans home in Hot Springs. The project ranked tenth in the nation under the Obama Administration’s priority list for the Veterans Affairs State Home Construction Grant Program.
“I’m glad to see the Administration recognizes the merits of this project and will provide the funding necessary to keep it moving forward. This is good news that speaks to the strength of the state’s application and the importance of providing funding at the federal level for this program. As Chairman, I’m proud to have funded the VA’s construction program at the highest possible level during a tough budget environment,” said Johnson.
As Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, Johnson included $85 million for the Veterans Affairs State Home Construction Grant Program in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget.
Under the program, the VA matches 65 percent of a project’s cost with states funding the remaining 35 percent. The State of South Dakota passed a bond bill last year to cover their portion of the project.
The funding will be used to construct a new 100 bed state veterans home in Hot Springs on the same property as the current facility.
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