Georgia official urges new veteran homes to meet demand, warns of tight federal matching timeline
February 19, 2026 | 2026 Legislature Georgia, Georgia
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
Commissioner Trish Ross told a joint legislative hearing that Georgia faces a shortfall in long‑term skilled nursing capacity for veterans and outlined cost estimates and financing options for modernizing and building veteran homes.
Ross said the state's legacy facilities require substantial renovation and presented three options: targeted legacy renovations (net gain of about 63 beds), finishing a partially renovated wood building (about 47 beds for roughly $3–3.5 million), or building a new 120‑bed facility. "If we build a new facility, it's $35,000,000 in state funding, because it's a 35% match," Ross said, adding that the VA could provide approximately $65,000,000 toward a $100,000,000 project.
She argued a new facility could be self‑sustaining under a revenue‑sharing model and would avoid the long‑term compounding state costs associated with older buildings. Ross provided renovation figures for current facilities: the Vincent Building renovation estimate was nearly $7,000,000 to convert to single rooms, the wood building work roughly $3,000,000, and Augusta renovation/abatement and state‑match on a new home would be near $35,000,000; she summarized total needed capital for legacy homes at about $45,000,000.
On operational capacity, Ross said Milledgeville’s campus could support up to 232 beds once renovations are complete but is currently funded for 185; she said the department has about 16 funded but unoccupied beds at Milledgeville while staff and contractor onboarding continue. Ross said occupancy above 90% is critical to obtain VA reimbursement for hospital stays and to improve the state's fiscal profile.
Ross warned that timing is decisive for new federal funding: the VA grant cycle put Augusta at priority #30 this year, and she referenced an April 15 submission deadline and the need to have state funding in place by January to leverage federal funds. Several legislators pressed whether the state match could be phased over multiple years; Ross said the VA matching process requires the state match to be programmed when the application is submitted although bond financing could be an approach.
Lawmakers asked how many homes Georgia needs; Ross cited data pointing to a need for roughly 1,500 beds statewide and estimated about 10 new 120‑bed facilities to meet that need, while noting priority locations in North and South Georgia. The hearing closed with requests from delegates for continued collaboration on capital planning and procurement.
Ross said the state's legacy facilities require substantial renovation and presented three options: targeted legacy renovations (net gain of about 63 beds), finishing a partially renovated wood building (about 47 beds for roughly $3–3.5 million), or building a new 120‑bed facility. "If we build a new facility, it's $35,000,000 in state funding, because it's a 35% match," Ross said, adding that the VA could provide approximately $65,000,000 toward a $100,000,000 project.
She argued a new facility could be self‑sustaining under a revenue‑sharing model and would avoid the long‑term compounding state costs associated with older buildings. Ross provided renovation figures for current facilities: the Vincent Building renovation estimate was nearly $7,000,000 to convert to single rooms, the wood building work roughly $3,000,000, and Augusta renovation/abatement and state‑match on a new home would be near $35,000,000; she summarized total needed capital for legacy homes at about $45,000,000.
On operational capacity, Ross said Milledgeville’s campus could support up to 232 beds once renovations are complete but is currently funded for 185; she said the department has about 16 funded but unoccupied beds at Milledgeville while staff and contractor onboarding continue. Ross said occupancy above 90% is critical to obtain VA reimbursement for hospital stays and to improve the state's fiscal profile.
Ross warned that timing is decisive for new federal funding: the VA grant cycle put Augusta at priority #30 this year, and she referenced an April 15 submission deadline and the need to have state funding in place by January to leverage federal funds. Several legislators pressed whether the state match could be phased over multiple years; Ross said the VA matching process requires the state match to be programmed when the application is submitted although bond financing could be an approach.
Lawmakers asked how many homes Georgia needs; Ross cited data pointing to a need for roughly 1,500 beds statewide and estimated about 10 new 120‑bed facilities to meet that need, while noting priority locations in North and South Georgia. The hearing closed with requests from delegates for continued collaboration on capital planning and procurement.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
