Local Veteran Resources
Statewide Veteran Events Calendar
This calendar depicts veteran and veteran family events in Massachusetts. It is a voluntary collaboration of government and nonprofit organizations and is accurate to their level of input.
Sharing of this calendar does not signify endorsement by the Office of the Veteran Advocate.
Find Your Municipal Veteran Services Agent
Veterans Service Agents are located in cities and towns across the Commonwealth to assist local veterans and their loved one's access the essential services and resources they are entitled to.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) offers a search feature to help find your local agent, as well as a MassGIS mapping tool designed to offer general information to educate users about the Commonwealth's programs and services available to them.
Local Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans
With the recent passage of the HERO Act, the Division of Local Services (DLS) has published an official bulletin to help summarize the two new local tax exemptions options included in the law.
The downloadable fact sheet covers the increase of certain Massachusetts veteran exemption amounts, as well as changes on how to determine eligibility for the motor vehicle exemption for a veteran with a 100% disability rating or a veteran that is unemployable due to their service-connected disability.
State Agencies Serving Veterans
Career Services for Veterans and Spouses
The MassHire Department of Career Services provides employment and training services to Veterans and their families. Dedicated staff are available throughout the state to help veterans transition to civilian employment. Veterans and their eligible spouses receive Priority of Service throughout the full array of services provided through the Career Center system.
Guide to Veterans' Laws & Benefits
The Secretary of the Commonwealth publishes a comprehensive Veterans' Laws and Benefits Guide, with information on major state benefits for education, employment, housing, motor vehicles, property taxes, and medical assistance. This guide also contains information on any recent amendments to federal and state legislation regarding veteran employment rights, federal burial benefits, as well as information specifically for National Guard members and Reservists.
This guide connects you with appropriate agencies for benefit eligibility and application information, and also describes how local veterans' agents can help with referrals and emergency assistance.
Massachusetts Anti-Discrimination Laws
State law prohibits discrimination on the basis of a person's membership in a protected class, such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, familial status, veteran status, criminal record, and gender identity/expression. Anyone who lives in, works in, or visits Massachusetts may file a complaint if they believe they were treated differently or unfairly based on their membership in a protected class.
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) enforces the law through the investigation of complaints of discrimination, the prosecution and adjudication of cases, and through preventative training and education.
MASSVETS Financial Benefits
The Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) offers several financial benefits through its MASSVETS program.
Chapter 115 provides a financial safety net through a means-tested program that provides eligible veterans and their families with financial support for food, shelter, clothing, fuel, and medical care.
Annuity payments are also offered to certain disabled veterans, parents of deceased veterans, and unmarried spouses of deceased veterans living in Massachusetts. As part of the HERO Act, the annuity will be increasing from $2,000 to $2,500 over 2 years. Veterans will receive a payment of $1,250 in February of 2025. Starting in August of 2025, veterans will receive one annuity check per year of $2,500.
Opportunities for Veteran Owned Businesses
The Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) works to bring fairness to the state's bidding and procurement process by helping veteran-owned businesses bid on contracts across the state. The SDO offers several programs to assist Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (SDVOBEs) and Veteran Business Enterprises (VBEs) that are interested in public and private business opportunities in the Commonwealth.
RMV Info for the Military and Veteran Community
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) makes certain exemptions from regular procedures and waives certain fees for military service members, veterans, 7 their spouses/dependents. The RMV provides information on how to apply for license plates and decals, obtaining a Veteran's Indicator on a Massachusetts driver's license or ID card, licensing requirements, and available tax exemptions for disabled veterans.
Veterans' Bonus Division
The Veterans' Bonus Division provides bonus payments for veterans, servicemembers, and their families who had a home of record in Massachusetts for at least six months before entering the military and served during various conflicts in single or multiple deployments.
Veteran Education, Employment, and Training (VEET)
The VEET Office provides meaningful connections for veterans to employment, training, and educational opportunities to empower them and their families. The VEET Office also has dedicated employment and education assistance teams that can assist.
Veterans' Treatment Courts
Veterans’ treatment courts are designed to handle criminal cases involving defendants who have a history of military service through a coordinated effort among the veterans' services delivery system, community-based providers, and the court.
The sessions aim to improve public safety while dealing with the underlying issues of PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and military sexual trauma. Abstinence from drugs and alcohol, mandated treatment, swift accountability, and weekly interaction with the court are requirements of the Veterans' Treatment Court.
There are six veterans’ treatment courts in Massachusetts:
- Boston Veterans Court
- Essex County Veterans Treatment Court
- Middlesex County Veterans Treatment Court
- Norfolk County Veterans Treatment Court
- Plymouth County Veterans Treatment Court
- Western Massachusetts Veterans Treatment Court
Women Veterans Network (WVN)
The Massachusetts Women Veterans Network (WVN) mission is to empower women veterans by ensuring their voices are heard, their contributions acknowledged, and their well-being enhanced through education, advocacy, and collaboration.
Federal Agencies Serving Veterans
Vet Centers in Massachusetts
Operated by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) and located across the Commonwealth, Vet Centers are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of confidential social and counseling services to Veterans, service members, and their families. Counselors and outreach staff, many of whom are Veterans themselves, are experienced and prepared to discuss the tragedies of war, loss, grief and transition after trauma.
VA Healthcare in Massachusetts
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates and manages various healthcare facilities across the Commonwealth for veterans to seek a variety of treatment options. The VA directory provides a complete listing of all VA Healthcare Hospitals, Vet Centers, Outpatient, and Community Clinics. Each link will take you to the facility's landing page with contact information, available treatment options, and ways to make an appointment at each facility.
DOL VETS
The U.S. Department of Labor Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) works to prepare veterans, service members, and military spouses for meaningful careers through employment resources and expertise, protection of their employment rights, and by promoting their employment opportunities.
The Off-Base Transition Training (OBTT) program offers no cost workshops to assist veterans, veterans currently serving in the National Guard and Reserve, and their spouses move their careers forward on their schedule. Workshops are done at your own pace can be mixed and matched to meet individual employment.
SBA Resources for Veteran-owned Businesses
The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers support for veterans and military spouses as they enter the world of business ownership through funding programs, training, and federal contracting opportunities.
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| Date published: | October 31, 2024 |
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| Last updated: | January 30, 2025 |