Veterans living in WDVA’s State Veterans Homes and Transitional Housing Programs will soon see improvements and upgrades thanks to COVID-19 grant funding.
The Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) is honored to announce the receipt of eight grants, totaling $15.5 Million, to combat COVID-19 at the four State Veterans Homes (Walla Walla, Spokane, Orting, Port Orchard) and the Port Orchard Transitional Housing Program.
These grants will help to improve the facilities that are serving our honored veterans and family members, to include veterans in the Transitional Housing Program.
Projects starting to begin
Walla Walla Veterans Home – $850,500
- Construction of a new maintenance and storage building to provide adequate space for PPE, dirty laundry storage, and other necessary equipment.
- It will also free up space in the existing Service Building for the procurement and dietary departments.
- Beginning selection of the design team and working on design documents with construction expected to begin around July of 2022.
Spokane Veterans Home – $1.2 Million
- Installation of new rooftop HVAC systems that will serve all common areas. (Resident room heating and cooling units were recently replaced.)
- Within the rooftop units, we will install UV ionization units to clean outside air as it comes into common areas such as the kitchens, dining rooms, and laundry areas.
- Crews will inspect ducts and clean those as needed.
- Beginning selection of the design team and working on design documents with construction expected to begin around late August of 2022.
Flooring Replacement at the Washington Veterans Home, Port Orchard and Washington Soldiers Home – $3.2 Million
- The flooring in the Washington Veterans Home will be replaced. The resident wings and common spaces will be replaced with luxury vinyl plank, while some of the administration space will receive new carpet.
- Industrial looking VCT at Washington Soldiers Home will be replaced with luxury vinyl plank.
- At both homes, this will allow for more effective cleaning and sanitizing.
- Work will take place in phases allowing time for residents to be temporarily moved while their new floors are installed. Much more information will be shared as we get closer so that staff, residents and families have the information and assistance they need.
- Beginning selection of the design team and working on design documents with construction expected to begin around May of 2022.
Transitional Housing Program, Port Orchard – $2.4 Million
- Double rooms with shared bathrooms will be converted into single rooms with private bathrooms and showers.
- This project will help prevent illnesses such as COVID-19 and flu that are easily spread in congregate living environments. It also gives veterans, who may be working through complex physical and mental health issues, the ability to decompress at the end of their day.
- As a result of the conversion of 48 double rooms to single rooms, 12 THP client spaces will be relocated to Roosevelt Barracks.
- Beginning selection of the design team and working on design documents with construction expected to begin around July of 2022.
In addition, we are gearing up to begin work or purchase items for the following projects. We don’t have firm timelines yet, but we will share more information as it becomes available.
Preparation and Response, All Four State Veterans Homes – $3.7 Million
- We will purchase items such as mobile UV lighting units, wall mounted UV air cleaners and small device cleaners to create environments with cleaner, healthier air.
- For example, wall mounted UV light units will be placed in some common spaces that will cycle and continuously clean the air, UV ionization units will be attached to outside air handlers and rooftop units, to help bring cleaner air in.
- These projects will help with infection control and aid our fight to combat the current pandemic and well as flu season and other airborne illnesses. They will also assist Homes who are impacted by air quality issues, such as wildfires.
- In some places, clean storage spaces will be created as well as storage for PPE.
Sanitization, Security, and Visits, All Four State Veterans Homes – $695,250
- Additional sanitization equipment will be purchased for all homes, including electrostatic ION spray guns, isolation carts, and industrial floor scrubbers. These items will continue to assist in infection control measures.
- Blanket warmers will be added at each home to assist in future outdoor visits for residents and families.
Washington Veterans Home, Port Orchard Servery Replacement – $1.3 Million
- Replacement of serveries on the 1st floor to emulate those recently completed on the 2nd floor. The reconfiguration and finishes will help to provide a better working space for staff and provide better infection control and sanitization within the space. All finishes to be for a commercial kitchen environment, including stainless steel cabinets, counters, and epoxy flooring.
- Along with the finishes we will be providing enclosures to provide better separation of staff and resident space and allow, yet include relite windows to provide visual connectivity between the two spaces.
Bathing Facility Replacement, WSH, WVH, SVH – $2.2 Million
- Replacing existing bathing tubs in three of our Veterans Homes. Along with the replacement of the tubs DVA will also be replacing all the finishes with the space to create a more comforting environment and allow for easier cleaning and sanitization.
- Layouts will be adjusted to provide better work flow.
Updates on other large projects:
WVH HVAC Project - $15.4 Million
- This project will install a HVAC system that will allow for both heating and cooling to be achieved with the skilled nursing building at Port Orchard. This will help to support our residents and staff by providing climate-controlled spaces in higher temperatures. The skilled nursing building does not currently have air conditioning which impacts residents and staff during the higher temperatures we have received in recent years.
- Additionally, the new HVAC system will help to clean the air coming into the skilled nursing building when air quality concerns come up, as have been occurring in recent years due to wildfires.
- We are working with the legislature to authorize the use of funds as we wait for the Federal VA to approve our grant request, that would provide a 65% reimbursement to the State of Washington.
Washington Department of Veterans Affairs has also requested an additional $15.7 million for the four state veterans homes. This will provide funding for at least 20 additional construction projects to support the veterans home operations. Additionally, WDVA is also submitting for another grant in December of 2021 to provide additional single occupancy rooms and bathrooms for the Transitional Housing Program at the Washington Veterans Home. This grant request will be up to $3.5 million dollars and will also be using COVID-19 funding.
Your WDVA will continue to share progress on these projects, particularly at the locations being impacted by construction work.
Lastly, we would like to send a special Thank You to our Veterans Homes and Transitional Housing Leadership Teams, the Finance Department, and other critical staff members who helped make this happen towards our overall agency’s ongoing work and efforts in Service Those Who Served!