Gavin Newsom Announces 4 Major Investments for California Veterans

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has detailed four major investments that the state of California is making to improve the lives of veterans, in areas including veteran benefits, housing and legal assistance.

California, the country’s most populous state, holds one of the largest raw populations of veterans in the U.S. with between 1.3 and 1.5 million veterans living in the Golden State, according to U.S. Census and VA data. Other states with the biggest veteran populations include Texas and Florida.

However, when looking at veterans as a percentage of the overall state population, California ranks near the bottom nationwide, with veterans making up only about 4% to 5% of its residents. In contrast, states with much smaller total populations, like Alaska, Montana and Virginia, boast the highest per-capita concentrations of veterans, often exceeding 8% to 10% of their adult populations.

“California has a responsibility to honor the women and men who served our country not only with words, but with action,” Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Since day one, we’ve worked to make California the best state in the nation for veterans and military families.

“We are continuing that commitment by helping more veterans access the benefits they’ve earned, remain safely housed, and ensuring Southern California veterans finally have the state veterans cemetery they’ve long deserved.”

What Funding Goes Towards

Newsom’s office on Tuesday announced a slew of investments.

His office invested $19 million to build the Southern California Veterans Cemetery. Newsom signed off on the project earlier this month that is expected to cost around $86 million in total, according to state leaders cited by Voice of OC.

In a press release, Newsom’s office said it has allocated $9 million of this fund to constructing an access road and the other $10 million is for planning and constructing the first phase of the project.

“Through our programs and local partners, this funding will translate into expert benefits assistance, stable housing and supportive services for older veterans, legal help to remove barriers to earned benefits, and continued progress on a long-awaited veterans cemetery in Southern California,” said California Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Lindsey Sin in a statement. “This is how investment becomes meaningful action for California veterans and their families.”

Newsom’s office has also given $5 million to County Veterans Service Offices in California, so more veterans can receive assistance in accessing disability compensation, pensions, health care and other federal benefits.

Meanwhile, the office has allocated $7 million to the Veterans Support to Self-Reliance Program, which provides housing and support services including health care and peer support for veterans aged 55 and over who are at risk of homelessness.

Newsom’s office finally allocated $2 million to legal assistance services to access certain federal benefits. These benefits are for services that help veterans affected by sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury (TBI), discrimination and other issues, coming at a time in which TBI cases are surging throughout the nation.

Newsom’s Loftier Ambitions

The policy announcements also come as Newsom weighs his next political move.

He has long been viewed as a potential front-runner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. The two-term governor is widely expected to run but has yet to formally announce a White House bid.

Veterans tend to lean Republican vote-wise. The majority of them voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, though Newson’s actions regarding veterans may influence their decisions at the ballot box in 2026 as part of the midterm elections.

Newsom has previously enacted policies with veterans in mind.

In February, Newsom signed legislation forcing “claim shark” companies to either systematically change their philosophies by the end of the year or no longer operate, according to CalMatters. Under the law, unaccredited private firms can no longer charge fees to assist veterans in filing claims.