From the days of the Texas Republic, Texas has given veterans land in recognition of their military service. In the days of Sam Houston, that debt for service was paid to Texas veterans in grants of land. Following World War II, this tradition was continued with the creation of the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) in 1946, to administer a new program which would provide low-interest, long-term loans to Texas veterans for the purchase of land.
Since it inception, more than 120,000 Texas veterans have taken advantage of this self-supporting program without costing the taxpayers a single penny. In 1983, the Legislature created the Veterans Housing Assistance Program to assist Texas veterans in purchasing a home. In 1986, the VLB expanded the Veterans Housing Assistance Program, adding the Veterans Home Improvement Program to provide below-market interest rates to qualified Texas veterans for home repairs and improvements to their existing homes.
The program has a weekly interest rate. You can view the current interest rate here. There are discount points for years of service, era of service and disabilities, all of which reduce the rate for the qualifying veteran.
The VLB also maintains and is planning to construct additional Veteran Homes. On May 3, 2004, by Executive Action, the Texas Veterans Land Board designated a formal name for the state veterans’ home program. The program is now named The David A. Gloier Texas State Veterans Home Program, in recognition of the late David A. Gloier, Executive Secretary of the Veterans Land Board from 1993 to 2001. Mr. Gloier was instrumental in the implementation of the state veterans’ home program guiding it through the legislative process and oversight in the construction and operation of the first four homes in Temple, Floresville, Bonham and Big Spring.
House Bill 310 passed by the Legislature in May 2001, authorized the creation of up to seven state veterans’ cemeteries for veterans and their eligible dependents. Two sites were initially identified for development: Killeen in Bell County and Central Texas; and Mission in Hildalgo County and South Texas. On June 26, 2003, the VLB formally named the Killeen site for the geographic are in which it will honor Texas veterans. The Killeen site is named the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery. The VLB also used the geographical region when naming the Mission site as the Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery.
Outreach offices are maintained throughout the state. Check here for the office nearest you. To contact the VLB within Texas: 1-800-252-VETS (8387). By mail:
Texas Veterans Land Board
P.O. Box 12873
Austin, Texas 78711-2873
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