Veterans and their spouses were well cared for in the Confederate Home until 1963, when the remaining residents were transferred to the Kerrville State Hospital and the Texas Confederate Home closed its doors forever.

By the 1990s, Texas' lack of a veterans home had become an embarrassment. The state woefully lagged behind others participating in the Department of Veterans Affairs State Veterans Home program. Veterans took the issue to Austin. Jerry Patterson, a retired Marine and longtime veterans advocate, had just been appointed by lieutenant governor Bob Bullock as the first chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Military Installation committee.

Patterson was also the great-grandson of Confederate veteran James Monroe Cole who was a resident of the original Confederate Veterans Home in Austin. Patterson convinced Bullock that Texas taxpayers would not have to pay a dime to support the Texas veterans homes and his bill, SB 1060, was passed authorizing the Veterans Land Board to participate in the VA State Veterans Home Program.

By December 2000, the Land Board had completed two Homes in Temple and Floresville and began admissions. The homes in Big Spring and Bonham began accepting residents in March and June, 2001, respectively. McAllen opened in July 2005 and El Paso opened in August 2005. The VLB's seventh facility, Amarillo, opened in May 2007. Texas' eighth new state of the art home in Tyler opened in November 2011.

Proudly Serving all of Texas

Since the days of the Republic, Texas has always supported her veterans in return for their military service. In the early days, it was in the form of land given by the state for military service in the For over half a century, the VLB has been keeping the promise to serve Texas veterans, for life.

Land Loans

The foundation of the VLB is to help Texan veterans buy their piece of Texas with low-interest, long-term land loans.

Home Loans

In 1983, the Legislature created the Veterans Housing Assistance Program to help Texas veterans buy homes with special, low-interest loans for home purchase.

Home Improvement Loans

In 1986, the VLB expanded the Veterans Housing Assistance Program, adding the Veterans Home Improvement Program to provide below-market interest rate loans to qualified Texas veterans.

State Veterans Homes

Since 2000, the VLB has built eight Texas State Veterans Homes, which offer long-term, skilled-nursing care for veterans. The homes are located in Amarillo, Big Spring, Bonham, El Paso, Floresville, McAllen, Temple and Tyler.

State Veterans Cemeteries

In 2006, to augment the federal veterans cemeteries and allow veterans to be buried closer to home and family, the VLB opened the states first Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, followed by state veterans cemeteries in Mission, Abilene and Corpus Christi.