Dear Neighbor,
We have received great news regarding the proposed veterans home in Bemidji: Legislation I authored to construct the facility has been met with a commitment for federal dollars necessary for the project to become reality.
The Minnesota Legislature in 2018 approved $33 million for three veterans homes in Minnesota, including funding I sponsored for a facility in Bemidji. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently approved more than $80 million for the projects to cover its side of the funding for the home in Bemidji, along with ones in Montevideo and Preston.
We have been working for more than a decade to bring a veterans home to Bemidji and it is satisfying to move ever closer to seeing shovels in the ground. I can’t tell you how happy I am for veterans in our area who will be able to do their final tour of duty near their families. They have sacrificed so much for us and we owe it to them to provide the services they need. This has been a major community effort and I can’t thank people enough who have worked so hard to make this happen.
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs indicates the process to obtain the federal funds will be completed by June 30 and construction could begin as early as this fall. The facility proposed in Bemidji features a North Woods cabin design, with 72 residential units and public spaces.
Sincerely,
Matt