VA offices moving to accommodate growing veteran population

In the six years since the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs relocated in order to gain more space, office traffic has doubled.

Needing both more parking and more office space yet again, the Houston County office of the VA is moving on Nov. 3 from its current location at 210 W. Crawford St., to the old Peanut Festival offices at the Houston County Farm Center. The office was the home of the Senior RX program, which has relocated into the new SARCOA building.

“The reason we moved from the Houston County Admin Building in July 2002 was because we needed more space,” said Veterans Service Officer Sean Law. “The county bought a portable building and put it here. We were happy with it. It has been great.”

But veteran calls for service have increased greatly since 9/11, Law said.

“Used to, we would see 30 vets a day. We see about 60 a day now, if not more.“

The increase is due to the fact that more veterans live in Houston County per capita, than any other county in the state. According to 2007 figures, 13,453 of the county’s approximately 88,000 residents are veterans.

“There are a lot of veterans who retire to Alabama because the tax system is so good. The state does not tax military retirement. All VA benefits are tax free. Alabama has always been known as a veteran-friendly state, offering things like discount fishing license and car tags,” Law said.

Veterans also like being close to Fort Rucker, Maxwell Air Force Base, and other military installations in the Florida panhandle.

The current office, which is home to three employees and two work-study students, is about 900 square feet. The new location is more than double that size.

Law’s office is the starting point in the application procedure for any and all veteran’s benefits — from long-term nursing home care to education loans to widow’s compensation.

“We are the first point for a veteran when he or she gets out of the military,” Law said. “We’ve had an office in Houston County since 1946. We are hoping the additional space will allow us to hire additional personnel.”

The best part of the move, Law said, is the increased visibility.

“On average, 20,000 vehicles travel the area. We are visible from the Circle. I don’t think we could be in a better locale. I enjoyed being downtown, but the new location will be a lot easier for older veterans to get in and out of.”

Houston County officials have discussed what to do with the current modular building, and have decided moving the structure, which is set in concrete, would be too cost prohibitive.

“We have several offices, from the board of education to the sheriff’s office, that needs space, but we have not made any determinations,” said Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver. “We are doing some measuring and evaluating.”