housingstate

War Veterans Homes — Free at 70%, $2,424 a Month Below It

Five state veterans homes take honorably discharged veterans with 90 days of active duty, eligible Guard and Reserve members, spouses and Gold Star parents. A veteran rated 70% or higher pays nothing; below that the fee is $2,424 a month; a spouse or Gold Star parent pays $5,500.

Verified August 22, 2026

What this benefit is

What it's worth: No charge at 70% or above; $2,424 a month below it; $5,500 a month for a spouse or Gold Star parent

The range is the published monthly fee annualised — $2,424 a month is $29,088 a year, $5,500 a month is $66,000 — and it is what a resident PAYS, not what they save. It is shown to make the tiers comparable, not to be added to a household total.
A veteran at 70% or higher pays none of it. That is the figure that matters most on this record.
The department notes the fee may be reduced by applying for and qualifying for the federal aid and attendance pension, so the effective cost below 70% can be materially lower.

Who is entitled to it

You served.
Spouses of veterans are eligible, and so are Gold Star parents.
Your discharge is honorable.
You are in this state.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

1Pick the home before you apply — the department asks you to submit the application to the facility you have chosen. There are five: Jackson, Monroe, Bossier City, Reserve and Jennings.
2The service test is 90 days of active duty with an honorable discharge, wartime or peacetime, or eligibility as a Guard or Reserve member.
3Bring the rating letter even if you think you are below the line. Beyond the 70% rule, the department states that a veteran admitted with a diagnosis RELATED to their service connection may live in a home free of charge at any rating level — which is a separate and easily missed route.
4If you are rated over 50%, ask about medications: the department states they are provided at no cost at that level.
5If the monthly fee applies, apply for the federal aid and attendance pension at the same time. The department names it as the offset.
6Ask about the memory care units if the diagnosis is Alzheimer’s or dementia — they are specialised and separately staffed.

Form: Admissions application or interest form
File with: The home you want, or the Department of Veterans Affairs
Documents you will need: dd214 · va benefit summary letter
Annual recertification: The office asks you to confirm each year.

CorrectionThe homes are usually described as a family benefit. They are — but the price is not the same benefit. A spouse or Gold Star parent is charged $5,500 a month, more than twice the $2,424 a veteran below 70% pays, and there is no rating route to reduce it.

Worth knowingThe service-connected DIAGNOSIS route is the one that gets missed. A veteran rated below 70% who is admitted with a condition related to their service connection may still be free of charge. That turns on what the admitting diagnosis says, so it is worth getting the paperwork right before admission rather than after.

Known gapThe state statute server did not resolve at any point this session, so the statutory basis for the homes and for these fee tiers is unread and no citation is asserted here. Both figures come from the administering department’s own page.

Sources

authority · published policyDepartment of Veterans Affairs — veterans homes: eligibility, locations and monthly fees
operating · published policyDepartment of Veterans Affairs — Louisiana Veterans Home, Jackson

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.