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Department of Veterans' Affairs > Web site
The Veterans' Building in Salem houses the central offices of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. (Oregon State Archives Photo)
Present Duties
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has been serving Oregon’s military veterans since 1945. The Legislature created the department in answer to the citizens’ mandate to provide veterans’ benefits and services for Oregon soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines returning from duty in World War II. Since then, benefits managed by the department have been extended to include veterans of later eras.
In addition to providing veterans’ benefits
counseling, claims preparation and conservatorship services to veterans, their dependents and survivors, the department administers the Veterans’ Home Loan and Oregon Educational and Emergency Aid programs. The loan program provides equity for returning war veterans. As stated by the Oregon Senate Concurrent Resolution #2, 1943: “Let it be in the declared policy of the State of Oregon to place our returning military and naval forces as nearly as possible on the same economic equality as those who remained at home.”
That policy, resulting in the program to provide below-market home loans to qualified veterans, has not changed, although the program itself has been revised and expanded.
Agency Subdivisions
Information about this agency's divisions, offices, programs, etc.
Contact Information
Mailing Address: 700 Summer St. NE, Salem 97301-1285
Telephone: 503-373-2000; Toll-free: 1-800-828-8801; TTY: 503-373-2217
Fax: 503-373-2362
Contact: Cameron Smith, Director
Administrative Rules Coordinator E-mail: Bruce Craig
Records Officer E-mail: Jeffrie Riha
Staff Directory from Oregon.gov
Location Map: by Yahoo! Maps
Legal and Legislative Information
Statutory Authority: ORS 406.020
Economic Budget Analysis (pdf) - by Legislative Fiscal Office
Audit Reports - select agency from menu
Records, Publications and General Information
Agency History (pdf) - a detailed history of the agency
Records Retention Schedule (pdf) - a list of the public records kept at the agency
State Archives Holdings - a select list of the agency's records available for research at the State Archives
State Library Publications - a link to the Oregon State Library Catalog