In a unanimous vote, the Bexar County Commissioners Court approved an ordinance that allows the Bexar County Department of Military and Veterans Services, BCDMVS, to coordinate with the Texas General Land Office’s Veterans Land Board, VLB, to construct a State Veterans Home in Bexar County.

The overview

Keith Wilson, executive director of the BCDMVS, gave a presentation to the court that highlighted the need for a local State Veterans Home. He said the process requires the county to donate 27 acres of land at the southwest corner of Cagnon Road and Ponder Road.

“We have 173,000-plus veterans in our community, [which] makes us the number one county in the state of Texas and the fourth in the country for veteran populations,” Wilson said. “We also have a large active military presence. Nearly 55% of our veterans are over the age of 55 so as we start talking about the need for long-term medical and nursing facility support, it's right for our community.”

Wilson also said the need for long-term care is becoming increasingly pertinent due to the increased number of elderly veterans.


“There's an expectation that the veteran population in South Texas and in Bexar County, in particular, will continue to grow over the coming years and decades,” Wilson said. “I spoke with the chief of geriatrics and long-term nursing for the VA down here in 2019 [and] they were putting 120 veterans in homes, nursing homes of different sorts each month. In 2025, that number has jumped to 400 each month that go into nursing facilities.”

The VA currently provides three long-term care options:
  • Two VA-run facilities in South Texas, with one in San Antonio and one in Kerrville
  • Community living centers, which are contracted by the VA to house veterans
  • 10 State Veterans Homes, with locations in Amarillo, Big Spring, Bonham, El Paso, Floresville, Fort Worth, Houston, McAllen, Temple and Tyler
Wilson said the closest State Veterans Home is in Floresville and has a 160-bed capacity.

According to the presentation, the only county cost is the donated land, with 65% of the construction costs to be covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs through a grant to the state, with the remaining 35% of the cost to be covered by the VLB. The VLB will also cover operations and maintenance costs.

“The estimated total bill cost [is] $40-$50 million, [and] that's based on the construction of the one in Fort Worth,” Wilson said.




Quote of note

After the presentation, Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody expressed his strong support for the project.

“We are Military City, USA. We have 170,000 veterans in Bexar County. This is a great opportunity to continue to serve them in a big way,” Moody said.


Next steps

Prior to the land transfer, the BCDMVS and VLB will conduct state-funded surveys, environmental assessments and negotiate the conditions for the land transfer. Afterward, a land transfer request will be brought before Commissioners Court for final approval.