The spread and uncertainty of the pandemic increased stress and anxiety for many veterans, especially those experiencing homelessness or mental health issues, such as PTSD. To help, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received $34.4 billion, much of which was aimed at assisting states, nonprofits, and other organizations build nursing homes and facilities for veterans facing homelessness.
Below, we outline the spending for the top five veterans' programs, as well as the money obligated and spent by recipients in a state and city. To see information on all veterans programs, visit the All Pandemic Awards dashboard and the VA agency profile.
Top five programs helping veterans
VA Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program: Provides grants to private non-profit organizations who work with or provide services for low-income veteran families residing in permanent housing or are homeless
Grants to States for Construction of State Home Facilities: Assists states in building nursing homes as well as improving existing buildings.
Veterans State Nursing Home Care: Helps states meet federal standards for nursing homes.
Veterans State Domiciliary Care: Assists states providing care in state veterans’ homes.
VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program: Assists public and nonprofit private organizations in creating new programs and centers for the care and housing of homeless veterans.
Total program amounts received and spent by recipients in each state
Note: The Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program received $386 million to provide up to 12 months of training and employment assistance for unemployed veterans to help them enter the job market. PandemicOversight.gov does not have the data for this program because the information was submitted to USAspending.gov without the code identifying the funding as pandemic related.