The Texas Veterans Land Board will staff a resource table every day of this year’s State Fair of Texas, Land Commissioner and board Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham announced Sept. 18.
Representatives will be stationed in the GO TEXAN Pavilion from Sept. 25 through Oct. 18, the Texas General Land Office said in a news release. Staff will answer questions about the state benefits available to veterans, military members and their families.
“As VLB Chairwoman, serving our Veterans is one of my highest priorities,” Buckingham said in the release. “These men and women raised their right hands, put their lives on the line, and served our nation with honor. We have a responsibility to make sure they and their families have access to every benefit they have earned.” She said the daily presence gives the board a chance to connect with Texans and share available resources.
The land office described the board’s offerings as the most robust state benefits package in the nation for Texas veterans and military members. It includes the Veterans Land Loan Program, which the agency said is the only program of its kind in the country and allows eligible borrowers to purchase land at favorable interest rates and terms with a minimum 5 percent down payment.
The board also administers the Veterans Housing Assistance Program, created by the Legislature in 1983, which the agency said offers low-interest home loans with little or no money down. Quarterly land sales are held in January, April, July and October, and veterans and military members may bid on tracts or use the land loan for other non-commercial Texas properties of one acre or more.
Other services described in the release include a Texas Veterans call center staffed five days a week at 1-800-252-8387 and outreach specialists available for one-on-one or group meetings by phone, video or in person.
The board operates 10 long-term care facilities for qualified veterans, their spouses and Gold Star parents, according to the release. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or higher can generally live at one of the homes at no cost.
The board also manages five state veterans cemeteries, located in Abilene, Corpus Christi, Killeen, Lubbock and Mission, which the agency said were built through a partnership between the state and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Buckingham encouraged veterans and their families attending the fair to stop by the booth and ask about the programs.