The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs (ODVA) continues to help our state's veterans and their families to improve the quality of their lives. From helping veterans to file claims for education, medical or other benefits to assisting them in obtaining earned medals and military awards, ODVA is here to serve you.

The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs (ODVA) offers a state veterans' home loan (ORVET) that is an additional and distinctively separate benefit from the USDVA (Federal VA) Home Loan Guaranty Program. The current maximum loan amount is $417,000 or a veterans' remaining eligibility amount if there has been a previous ODVA loan.

The Oregon Veterans' Home provides a residence for veterans who have honorably served our country, or their spouses, who are now in need of skilled nursing and rehabilitative or Alzheimer's care.

The Home's recreation program offers numerous therapeutic benefits to residents through physical activity, creative expression and social involvement. These are essential keys to allow each resident to maintain a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle to the maximum extent possible... physically, mentally and socially.

The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs and Service Officers statewide stand ready provide free benefits counseling, claims service and other assistance to military spouses and their dependents.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 expanded the first-time homebuyer credit by increasing the credit amount to $8,000 for purchases made before Dec. 1, 2009. The credit for a home purchased in 2009 does not have to be paid back unless the home ceases to be the taxpayer's main residence within a three-year period after purchase.

Oregon veteran license plates will be issued to qualifying veterans with proof of military service--a DD-214 or DD-215.