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By Terri Hendry 
(Washington, D.C.) – Nevada Senator Dean Heller is giving VA Secretary David Shulkin an earful. He’s urging Shulkin to fulfill the VA’s commitment to provide matching funds for the new Northern Nevada State Veterans Home in Sparks. 
 
The Skilled-Care facility to provide care for northern Nevada veterans who want to remain close their family, friends and neighbors. The 102,000 square-foot facility will include 96 beds for veterans, their spouses and Gold Star parents. It will house a physical therapy center, dining hall, chapel, activity center and more. A ribbon cutting is expected in December of 2018. 
 
Heller notes the new facility is poised to have a large impact on the nearly 80,000 veterans currently living in northern Nevada. Right now, the only veterans’ home in the state is located in Boulder City, which is nearly 500 miles away from northern Nevada and it is at maximum capacity. 
 
In a letter to Shulkin Heller writes, “I agree that the current formula utilized should prioritize safety above all projects; however, I do have concerns that when constructing new state homes, certain critical factors are not being taken into consideration—namely the needs and challenges of large, rural states,” For veterans in northern parts of Nevada, like Reno, Sparks, and Carson City, it is unreasonable to expect these veterans to move 500 miles away from home to access the State Veterans Home in Boulder City…Plain and simple, the current formula does not take into account this geographical challenge, putting Nevada’s veterans at an unfair disadvantage. Our veterans do not deserve to bear this significant hardship just to have access to a benefit they have earned.” 
 
Heller serves as a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. He previously requested information from Secretary Shulkin regarding the State Construction Home Grant Program and expressed his concerns about the delay in federal funding to construct the new facility. Because the VA has yet to allocate the funds it is responsible for under the program, the state has been forced to advance the full funding in order to begin construction. Heller also wrote the previous VA Secretary last year on the same issue, but did not receive an update on his request.  
 
Below is the most recent letter in full:  
 
The Honorable David J. Shulkin 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 
810 Vermont Avenue Northwest 
Washington, DC 20420 
 
Dear Secretary Shulkin, 
 
As a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I write to you today to follow up on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) State Construction Home Grant Program. This program is critical to Nevada given the state recently began construction of a much-needed State Veterans Home in the north, and I appreciate your attention to my concerns with the current formula for the grant program. 
 
For years, Nevada has been working toward building a second state veterans home in northern Nevada to ensure this community has access to a facility close to home. I was proud to attend the recent groundbreaking for this facility and have been a strong supporter of this important effort because the Boulder City State Veterans Home is 500 miles away from northern Nevada and is at capacity in the 180-bed facility. The Nevada Department of Veterans Services understands the urgency of getting this home built, but unfortunately, the VA’s matching funds for the project have yet to come through. As a result, Nevada has put forth the full funds to begin construction; however, this in no way means that Nevada should face continued delays in receiving its matching funds from the VA due to a priority list that does not take into account the needs of large and rural states. 
 
I previously reached out to the former VA Secretary on the formula used to determine how funds are allocated using the priority list, and my office has continually engaged with your staff at the VA Central Office. I agree that the current formula utilized should prioritize safety above all projects; however, I do have concerns that when constructing new state homes, certain critical factors are not being taken into consideration—namely the needs and challenges of large, rural states. For veterans in northern parts of Nevada, like Reno, Sparks, and Carson City, it is unreasonable to expect these veterans to move 500 miles away from home to access the State Veterans Home in Boulder City, especially for those with family nearby or those who have lived there for decades. Plain and simple, the current formula does not take into account this geographical challenge, putting Nevada’s veterans at an unfair disadvantage. Our veterans do not deserve to bear this significant hardship just to have access to a benefit they have earned.  
 
That is why I respectfully request that the VA incorporate this consideration into its formula. Furthermore, I request an update since my correspondence last year on what actions the VA has taken or will take to develop changes to the formula that recognize the needs of rural and large states like Nevada.  
 
As always, thank you for your attention to this matter, and I respectfully request a reply by August 18, 2017. I look forward to continuing our work together to assist our nation’s veterans.