An operating veterans’ home in the city of Truth or Consequences may be in line for significant facility upgrades.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has announced her intention to ask for an appropriation of around $59 million in capital funding for improvements to the New Mexico State Veterans’ Home.
That price tag is considerably less than the estimated $95 million it would cost to build an entirely new facility, say state officials.
The Governor said the improvements will result in the creation of a “state-of-the-art” facility. Those improvements are needed, she continued, “because veterans deserve respect and support,” especially “in their later years.”
Located at 992 S. Broadway Street, the one-story facility was built in 1936. In recent years the building has been plagued with a number of structural issues due to its age and use.
Those issues include a lack of space, poor ventilation, and bathrooms that are not Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.
The Governor said she will submit her proposal during the upcoming one-month long 2022 legislative session, set to begin on January 18.
As envisioned, improvements to the Truth or Consequences facility will see the construction of half a dozen residential spaces, as well as updated and modernized bathrooms.
Built through the federal Works Progress Administration, the Truth or Consequences facility originally housed the Carrie Tingley Hospital for Crippled Children. When that hospital moved to Albuquerque in the early 1980s, the New Mexico Department of Veteran Services took over the facility.
If the $59 million in funding can be secured, work on the veterans’ home could launch sometime next summer.
By Garry Boulard
