Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), are calling on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prioritize funding for the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) proposed Roseburg Veterans’ Home project.
Currently, ODVA operates two high-quality, award-winning Oregon Veterans’ Homes: the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles, a 151-bed skilled nursing facility, and the Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home in Lebanon, a 154-bed assisted living facility. These facilities provide skilled and long-term nursing, memory, and rehabilitative care to veterans, their spouses, and Gold Star parents, allowing veterans to live in a culture of community with fellow veterans and those with shared military experiences. The lawmakers are urging VA Secretary Collins to support the Roseburg Veterans’ Home project to expand this model of small home care to more veterans in the state.
“Since 2011, ODVA has worked closely with the VA to develop this critical project to serve veterans in southern Oregon — and the time to build the Roseburg Veterans’ Home is now,” the lawmakers said.
Roseburg has a sizable veteran population, with current estimates suggesting that Douglas County is home to over 10,000 veterans, many of whom served in the Vietnam War era or earlier. A new facility in the community would provide an affordable, high-quality, long-term care option for the estimated 68,000 veterans across the VA Southern Oregon Healthcare System service area which includes Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, and Lake counties in Oregon as well as Siskiyou and Del Norte counties in California.
The Oregon lawmakers have long supported the Roseburg State Veterans’ Home project, which remains in the preliminary stages of preconstruction. Currently, the project has secured the required 35 percent funding commitment from the State of Oregon to qualify for federal funding from the VA. With Oregon doing its part to make the long-awaited project a reality, Merkley, Wyden, and Hoyle are urging the VA to do the same. They are calling for Secretary Collins to commit the remaining 65 percent in federal funds in FY25. Additionally, they are encouraging the VA to prioritize the transfer of the more than 13 acres identified for this project on the Roseburg VA Medical Center campus to the ODVA.
“Veterans have served our country with tremendous courage and sacrifice. We owe them the highest standard of care and services our nation has to offer,” the lawmakers said.
Full text of the letter can be found HERE.
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