FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 07 2023

Contacts:
Kaitlin Price, Office of the Governor
Jon Ebelt, Department of Public Health and Human Services

Governor Gianforte, DPHHS Submit Federal Application for Sixth Cottage at Southwest Montana Veterans Home

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana has submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for funding to build a sixth cottage at the Southwest Montana Veterans Home (SWMVH) in Butte.

“We’re committed to ensuring Montana veterans receive the resources they need following their selfless service to our nation,” Gov. Gianforte said. “With the state’s $2 million investment for the sixth cottage, we’ll build on the exemplary care that the Southwest Montana Veterans Home is providing our veterans.”

The SWMVH is a licensed and certified skilled nursing facility with five, 12-bedroom cottages currently home to 44 veterans and their spouses. A sixth cottage will increase the facility’s maximum capacity to 72 veterans.

In its application to the VA State Home Construction Grant Program, DPHHS requested the sixth cottage, estimated at $5.7 million, be paid for with 65% federal funds and 35% state dollars. The governor secured $2 million in state dollars for the project.

The SWMVH serves Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Jefferson, Madison, Powell, and Silver Bow counties. According to VA statistics, these counties are home to approximately 4,000 veterans aged 65 and over. The area accounts for 9% of Montana’s total veteran population.

The new cottage will be geared toward meeting the growing need for specialized care, particularly for individuals with Alzheimer's, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, and other conditions.

Designed to resemble a home, the cottages feature private bedrooms and bathrooms, a central kitchen, and dining and living rooms. The community center serves as the heart of the facility, offering a large multi-purpose room, barber/beauty shop, reception areas, administrative offices, a medical exam room, and a therapy gym. The gym provides physical, occupational, and speech therapies, along with outpatient care for community veterans.