Skip to main content

🇺🇸 Friday Spotlight: Washtenaw County Department of Veterans Affairs 🎖️


 🗓️ With Veterans Day coming up on Wednesday, November 11, this week's Spotlight is on a local office that quietly does a great deal for those who served: the Washtenaw County Department of Veterans Affairs.

Many veterans and their families never use benefits they have earned, often because they don't know those benefits exist or the paperwork feels overwhelming. In my work with older adults and families, I see this most often during life transitions, when a veteran or a surviving spouse is facing a move, a care decision, or the loss of a loved one. That's exactly when a call to this office can make a real difference. 💙

🏛️ What the Office Does

The Washtenaw County Department of Veterans Affairs helps veterans, their dependents, and surviving spouses apply for the federal, state, and local benefits they've earned. The office is staffed by veterans who are trained and accredited County Veteran Service Officers, so the people helping you understand military service from the inside.

Think of them as your advocate and guide through the paperwork. They can help with:

  • 🩺 Disability compensation, both service-connected and non-service-connected
  • 💵 VA pension and survivors pension
  • 🤝 Aid & Attendance, an added pension benefit for those who need help with daily living
  • 🕊️ Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving family members
  • 🕯️ Burial benefits, county and federal
  • 📂 Military records retrieval and discharge upgrades
  • ⚕️ CHAMPVA health coverage and vocational rehabilitation
  • 🆘 The Veterans Relief Fund, the county's emergency assistance program for eligible veterans in financial need

The Veterans Relief Fund is supported by a dedicated county millage, which means it's our own community funding help for local veterans. 🤝

🏡 Two Benefits Every Veteran Homeowner Family Should Know

In my work with seniors and families, two benefits come up again and again.

🧓 Aid & Attendance. This VA pension add-on is for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities like bathing, dressing, or managing medications. It can help offset the cost of in-home care or assisted living. Many families I meet have never heard of it, and it can change the math on whether to stay home, bring in help, or make a move. The county office can help determine eligibility and file the claim.

🏠 The disabled veteran property tax exemption. Michigan offers a full exemption from property taxes on a primary residence for qualifying disabled veterans, including those rated 100% permanently and totally disabled. For a veteran deciding whether to stay in their home, that savings matters. Your city or township assessor handles the application.

If you or a parent served, it's worth a conversation before making any big housing decision. 💡

🤝 More Local Support

The county office works alongside a strong local network:

  • 🏥 VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System provides health care for eligible veterans right here in our county.
  • 🚗 Feonix – Mobility Rising helps Washtenaw County residents find and book rides, and the county lists a Feonix ride program on its veterans page. Call (734) 259-4125.
  • 🚌 Free rides for adults 60+. Since October 2025, the county has offered free transportation for residents 60 and older. The WAVE serves western Washtenaw, including Chelsea and Dexter.
  • 🎖️ Veterans service organizations such as DAV Chapter 13 in Ypsilanti and VFW Post 423 in Ann Arbor offer connection, advocacy, and community.

📞 How to Connect

Washtenaw County Department of Veterans Affairs 📍 2155 Hogback Road, Ann Arbor, MI ☎️ Phone: (734) 973-4540 🌐 Website: washtenaw.org/veterans-affairs 🗓️ Appointments can be requested online.

This Veterans Day, one of the most meaningful ways to thank a veteran is to make sure they, or the spouse they leave behind, receive every benefit they earned. Please share this with a veteran, a caregiver, or a family who might need it. 📣

To every veteran in our community: thank you for your service. 🇺🇸🙏

🏡 If you're a veteran or family member weighing a move, downsizing, or a change in care, I'm always glad to talk it through. Housing decisions go better when the benefits picture is clear first.

Sources

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Building the Future: Why Schools Should Reignite Trade Education 🛠️🏫

  The construction industry is facing a critical labor shortage, and schools can play a pivotal role in reversing the trend. By reintroducing shop classes and trade-focused education, we can equip the next generation with the skills needed to build our communities—literally. The Trades: A Solution to the Housing Shortage 🏡🔧 As the housing market struggles to keep up with demand, the shortage of skilled construction workers poses a significant barrier. Without a robust workforce, projects are delayed, costs rise, and the dream of homeownership becomes harder to achieve. Tradespeople like carpenters, electricians, and plumbers are essential for building the homes our communities need. By investing in trade education now, we can ensure a steady supply of skilled professionals to meet future housing demands. Why Trade Education Matters 📚🛠️ Reviving shop classes and hands-on learning offers immense benefits: Faster Housing Development : A trained workforce means homes can be built ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Understanding a PA 116 FDRA Agreement in Michigan (and what it means for value, compensation, and future resale)

  A PA 116 FDRA agreement refers to a Farmland Development Rights Agreement (FDRA) created under Public Act 116 of 1974 , Michigan’s Farmland and Open Space Preservation Act (now part of Part 361 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act ). This is a statewide, voluntary farmland preservation program that allows landowners across Michigan to commit land to agricultural use in exchange for tax benefits and relief from certain special assessments . While PA 116 applies uniformly throughout the state, its real-world impact can feel more pronounced in areas experiencing development pressure—such as parts of Washtenaw County, including Ann Arbor Township. 📌 What Is PA 116 and an FDRA? PA 116 is shorthand for Public Act 116 , Michigan’s long-standing farmland preservation law. An FDRA (Farmland Development Rights Agreement) is the specific, recorded contract between a landowner and the State of Michigan . By signing an FDRA, the landowner agrees to temporarily res...
Post a Comment
Read more

🏡 What New Construction Buyers Want in 2026 — And What It Means for Washtenaw County

  Every year I keep an eye on the big national surveys that track what buyers actually want, because the headlines are useful — but the local numbers are what matter when you're standing in a lot in Chelsea or Dexter deciding whether to build. Homes.com just released its 2026 "What New Home Buyers Want" survey, and paired with the latest Michigan construction data, it paints a pretty clear picture for anyone weighing a new build here in Washtenaw County. 📊 The national picture: function over flash Homes.com partnered with Good Run Research and CMI Research this spring to poll more than 3,000 people aged 25+, all with budgets of at least $250,000, who either bought a new single-family home in the past two years or plan to in the next two. A few findings stood out to me: 🎨 Personalization is king. Roughly 70% of buyers want full structural and aesthetic customization — they're treating a new build as a canvas, not a template. 📐 The sweet spot is a 4-bedroom, 2.5-bat...
Post a Comment
Read more