Massachusetts Veterans Hub: Benefits, VA Locations and Ways to Connect

This Massachusetts veterans hub gathers official state and federal resources for veterans, service members and their families in one place: state benefits from the Executive Office of Veterans Services, VA hospitals and clinics, Vet Centers, housing and job help, education benefits, and groups where veterans can connect with one another. Every address and phone number below comes from the official agency or organization website linked next to it. Hours and services can change, so call ahead before visiting.

The Boston Report also tracks U.S. force movements on its Military Deployments Tracker and covers conflicts on the Warfare hub.

Jump to: State benefits · VA health care · Locations by region · Housing · Jobs and education · Connect with other veterans · FAQ

Massachusetts state veterans benefits

The Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS), created on March 1, 2023, oversees state veterans programs, Chapter 115 benefits, the two Veterans Homes and the state veterans memorial cemeteries in Agawam and Winchendon. Constituent Services: (617) 210-5480, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Main office: One Bowdoin Square, 15 New Chardon Street, Suite 400, Boston, MA 02114.

• Your local Veterans Service Officer (VSO). State law requires a VSO in every city and town. VSOs take applications for Chapter 115 and the annuity, make referrals and help with job programs. Search the VSO directory by town or ZIP code.
• Chapter 115 benefits. Need-based financial and medical help for eligible veterans and dependents, applied for through your VSO. Details and the MassVets benefit estimator are on the MassVets financial benefits page.
• Annuity. Under the 2024 HERO Act, the state annuity for certain disabled veterans, Gold Star parents and unremarried surviving spouses rose to $2,500 a year, paid as one annual check starting in August 2025, according to EOVS. Questions: VetsAnnuity@mass.gov.
• Welcome Home bonus. For service since Sept. 11, 2001: $500 for six months of continuous active service, $1,000 for service in Iraq, Afghanistan or another DoD imminent-danger area, and $500 or $250 for qualifying later deployments (amounts, how to apply). Veterans’ Bonus Division: (617) 367-9333 ext. 859.
• Property tax exemptions. Exemptions range from $400 (for example, a 10% or greater service-connected disability or a Purple Heart) to $1,500, with full exemptions for certain surviving spouses and parents and some disabled veterans, in municipalities that accept them. Some towns have doubled amounts under the HERO Act. See the state eligibility list and our Boston property tax bill and exemptions guide.
• Massachusetts Veterans Homes. State long-term care for eligible veterans: Chelsea, 100 Summit Avenue, Chelsea, MA 02150, (617) 884-5660; Holyoke, 110 Cherry Street, Holyoke, MA 01040, (413) 532-9475. See eligibility.

VA health care, benefits and burial in Massachusetts

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs runs three health systems in the state. VA Boston Healthcare System operates the Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury and Brockton medical centers; Brockton urgent care is open 24/7, and West Roxbury has a 24/7 emergency department. The VA Bedford Healthcare System covers the north and northwest suburbs and North Shore, and VA Central Western Massachusetts serves Worcester County and Western Mass.

For disability compensation, pensions, education and home loans, the VA Boston Regional Benefit Office is in the JFK Federal Building, 15 Sudbury Street, Boston, MA 02203, across from City Hall. Vet Centers offer free, confidential readjustment counseling in a non-medical setting, including for PTSD and military sexual trauma. The Massachusetts National Cemetery is on Connery Avenue in Bourne, MA 02532, 508-563-7113; to schedule a burial, fax discharge papers to 1-866-900-6417 and call 1-800-535-1117.

Key veterans locations by region

Facility phone numbers are taken from each VA or state page. Where the table says “See VA page,” use the phone listed on the linked official page, which VA keeps current.

Housing and homelessness help

The New England Center and Home for Veterans (NECHV) at 17 Court Street in downtown Boston serves veterans of all eras who are homeless or at risk; it says veterans seeking services can call 617-371-1800 anytime. The federal HUD-VASH program pairs HUD housing vouchers with VA case management. EOVS also runs a housing program, HEROS (EOVSHousing@mass.gov). Veterans who are homeless or at risk can also call VA’s National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838.

Jobs, training and education

EOVS’s Veteran Education, Employment & Training (VEET) office makes job and school referrals and links to MassHire Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Veterans Employment Representatives. Find a representative through MassHire’s veteran contact page, and browse local openings on our Boston Jobs Board.

Federal GI Bill benefits cover tuition, housing and other school costs. Massachusetts adds a categorical tuition waiver at state universities and community colleges for eligible veterans and for active-duty members stationed and living in the state; apply through the school’s veterans certifying official, or call the Department of Higher Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at (617) 391-6070. Campus offices include the UMass Boston Office of Veterans Affairs, Boston University Veterans & Military Services and Harvard’s veterans resources. Harvard Kennedy School’s fellowship for veterans is covered in our report on the American Service Fellows.

Connecting with other veterans

• VFW Department of Massachusetts: post and district directory, or the national Find a Post tool.
• American Legion, Department of Massachusetts: masslegion.org lists posts and districts. Its service officers, who help with VA claims, are in the JFK Federal Building, Room 1500D, Boston, (617) 303-5693.
• DAV Massachusetts: davma.org, which offers claims help and local chapters; 617-727-2974.
• Massachusetts Women Veterans Network: the state’s WVN holds events statewide and an annual conference; join online or email EOVSWomenVets@mass.gov.
• SAVE peer outreach: EOVS’s Statewide Advocacy for Veterans Empowerment connects veterans with peers to reach benefits and mental health support; (617) 210-5743, toll-free 1-888-844-2838.
• Home Base: the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital program provides clinical care, wellness programs and education for veterans, service members and families, at the Charlestown Navy Yard.
• Team Rubicon (teamrubiconusa.org) puts veterans to work as disaster-response volunteers, and Team Red, White & Blue (teamrwb.org) runs fitness and social chapters. Both list local chapters and events on their sites.
• Legal help: the Veterans Law & Disability Benefits Clinic at Harvard Law School’s Legal Services Center helps with VA benefits and discharge upgrades.

Have a correction or a veterans resource we should add? Email contact@thebostonreport.com.

Massachusetts veterans FAQ

How do I reach the Veterans Crisis Line?

Dial 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat at veteranscrisisline.net. It is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, every day. Veterans do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to use it.

What are Chapter 115 benefits?

Chapter 115 is the Massachusetts need-based program, run by the Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) with cities and towns, that provides financial and medical help to eligible veterans and their dependents. Veterans apply through the Veterans Service Officer in their city or town.

How do I find my town’s Veterans Service Officer?

Massachusetts law requires a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) in every city and town. EOVS has a searchable directory by city, town or ZIP code at mass.gov/info-details/find-your-local-veterans-service-officer-vso.

Who qualifies for the Massachusetts Welcome Home bonus?

The Global War on Terrorism Welcome Home bonus covers active service since Sept. 11, 2001, for people whose home of record was Massachusetts. EOVS lists $500 for six months of continuous active service and $1,000 for service in Iraq, Afghanistan or another DoD imminent-danger location, plus smaller subsequent-deployment bonuses. The Veterans’ Bonus Division is at (617) 367-9333 ext. 859.

Where are the VA medical centers in Massachusetts?

VA Boston Healthcare System runs medical centers in Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury and Brockton. The Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital is in Bedford, and VA Central Western Massachusetts is based at the Northampton VA Medical Center in Leeds, with clinics in Worcester, Springfield, Fitchburg, Greenfield and Pittsfield.

How can veterans in Massachusetts meet other veterans?

Options include local VFW and American Legion posts, DAV Massachusetts chapters, the state’s Women Veterans Network, the EOVS SAVE peer outreach program, Team Rubicon disaster-response volunteering and Team Red, White & Blue fitness chapters. Campus veteran offices at UMass Boston, Boston University and Harvard also host student veteran communities.

Sources

• Executive Office of Veterans Services, mass.gov
• Find Your Local Veterans Service Officer, mass.gov
• EOVS Leadership & Program Directory, mass.gov
• VA Boston Healthcare System locations, va.gov
• VA Bedford Healthcare System locations, va.gov
• VA Central Western Massachusetts locations, va.gov
• Massachusetts National Cemetery, National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov)
• Categorical Tuition Waiver, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (mass.edu)

Additional sources

• Veterans Crisis Line (VA)
• Massachusetts Veterans Homes locations, mass.gov
• VA Boston Regional Benefit Office, benefits.va.gov
• HUD-VASH, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Veterans Education, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
• Home Base Program, Mass General Brigham

Photo at top: A bugler plays at a Veterans Day ceremony at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. Photo: DVIDSHUB via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.