DOTHAN, Ala. – The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs received a $39 million federal grant to build a fifth veterans home for long-term care.
The new facility, which is estimated to cost a total of $60 million, will house about 175 veterans in Enterprise in southeast Alabama, according to a press release. Construction is expected to start in 2022 with the opening planned for 2023.
Alabama has four state veterans homes: Bill Nichols in Alexander City, Floyd E. “Tut” Fann in Huntsville, William F. Green in Bay Minette and Colonel Robert L. Howard in Pell City. State veterans home operate in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and typically provide lower cost care for eligible veterans who must apply for available beds. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also operates nursing homes in Tuscaloosa and Tuskegee.
A 2018 study commissioned by the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs found that as many as 1,440 veterans would need long-term care by 2045. The state currently has 704 beds in its four homes. The same study identified the Wiregrass as an underserved area with a large veteran population.
According to an article from 2018, the existing homes had waiting lists of at least 80 veterans. The newest one, Colonel Robert L. Howard Home in Pell City, had a waiting list of 354.
After reviewing 12 site proposals, the Veterans Home Committee selected 108 acres of donated land between U.S. Highway 84 and Alabama Highway 167. Once built, the new home could employ about 200 people.
“This project puts people to work, adds to our local economy and best of all, allows our community to give back in some small way to a group of dedicated Americans who have sacrificed for us and this great country where we live,” Enterprise Mayor William Cooper said.
The federal grant will cover about 65 percent of the costs of construction, with the rest coming from the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs. The home will be about 182,000 square feet.
The State Board of Veterans Affairs will unveil the final design for the building in July. The agency is still seeking a name for the facility. Nominations can be submitted to the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs through the website www.va.alabama.gov or by calling (334) 242-5077. They are seeking names that honor the geographical location, a person pivotal in the project or an Alabama veteran.
“The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs and the State Board of Veterans Affairs are honored to have this partnership with the City of Enterprise and Coffee County. We are grateful for the support received from this generous community,” said Kent Davis, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.
