Texas veterans in need of long-term care now have a new option — and for some, it won’t cost them a dime.
The William R. Courtney Texas State Veterans Home in Temple, Texas is officially accepting applications for residency, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D. announced this week. The facility, which opened in 2000, offers 160 beds — including 32 specifically designated for memory care — and represents one of the state’s most significant commitments to caring for those who served.
Free Care for the Most Severely Disabled
Here’s the part that stands out. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 70% or higher may be eligible to live at the home entirely free of charge. That’s not a small thing. Long-term care costs in the United States can run tens of thousands of dollars annually, and for veterans already managing serious service-related conditions, that financial burden can be crushing. The Courtney Home offers a meaningful alternative — fully supported, state-owned, and professionally staffed.
“Eligible Veterans with a 70% or higher service-connected disability may live at the home for free,” Buckingham’s office confirmed in a press release. It’s a straightforward statement, but the implications for qualifying veterans and their families are anything but small.
Who Was William R. Courtney?
The home bears the name of a man who earned it. William R. Courtney served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946, climbing the ranks from Private all the way to First Lieutenant in the legendary 10th Mountain Infantry Division, deployed in the rugged terrain of Italy during World War II. The 10th Mountain Division is widely regarded as one of the most elite and physically demanding units of the war — soldiers trained for alpine combat, hauling equipment up frozen slopes under enemy fire. Courtney’s story is, in many ways, exactly the kind of story these homes were built to honor.
How the System Works
The Texas State Veterans Homes aren’t just goodwill gestures — they’re rigorously regulated. Each facility is Texas-owned and operates under oversight from both the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The Veterans Land Board also places an on-site representative in each home — someone whose job is specifically to ensure residents are receiving the quality of care they were promised. That dual layer of state and federal accountability is, frankly, more than many private facilities can claim.
Still, it’s worth noting that demand for veteran care beds in Texas has historically outpaced supply. The state has made investments in expanding capacity, but the opening of applications at any facility tends to draw significant interest quickly. Veterans and their families who believe they qualify would be well-served not to wait.
A Historic Messenger
The announcement itself carries a bit of history attached to it. Dr. Dawn Buckingham made history in 2022 when she won a statewide election to become Texas’ first female Land Commissioner — a position that carries broad responsibility over veterans programs, public school land funds, and coastal management, among other duties. Her office overseeing the Veterans Land Board places veterans’ welfare squarely in her portfolio, and the Temple announcement reflects a continued emphasis on that mission.
For the men and women who served — some of whom are now aging, some managing the invisible wounds that service leaves behind — a bed in a place like the Courtney Home isn’t just a benefit. It’s the country making good on a promise. Whether that promise is kept consistently, and for everyone who needs it, remains the harder, longer question.
