Senators Collins, King Announce Nearly $480,000 for Maine Veterans’ Home

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins, a member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King announced today that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded $479,155.51 through the State Home Construction Grant Program for a recently completed renovation project at Maine Veterans’ Homes’ Scarborough facility.

“Maine Veterans’ Homes provides veterans with the high-quality care and support they have earned through their service to our country,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “We are delighted that the VA helped fund the much-needed renovations at Maine Veterans’ Homes’ Scarborough location, which modernized the facility, provided residents with a comfortable living space, and created a safe and efficient working environment for employees.”

The funding provided by the VA reimburses Maine Veterans’ Homes for 65 percent of the cost of a six-month renovation of the Scarborough facility’s B unit that was completed in October 2014. The project involved replacing the floor, lights, and windows; creating more private living areas, updating the nursing station, and installing a therapeutic tub, among other improvements. The renovations were the first major update to Maine Veterans’ Homes’ Scarborough location in more than two decades and helped the facility meet the VA Community Living Center’s guidelines.

Earlier this month, Senators Collins and King sent a letter along with 26 bipartisan Senators to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the MilCon-VA Appropriations Subcommittee, requesting robust funding for the State Home Construction Grant Program to address a growing backlog of construction and renovation projects across the country.