The meeting was organized by the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
Construction on the new veterans home, which is located near California and Marks in Southwest Fresno, is scheduled to wrap up later this year. But there's no money allocated in the state's current budget to get it running or in Governor Jerry Brown's current budget proposal, leaders said.
"Of course this budget year is not over. The May revise is coming up and there may be some changes there. And of course the budget does not take effect until July, so a lot can happen between now and then," said Secretary Peter Gravett, California Department of Veterans Affairs.
Gravett says he'll take the concerns brought up during Friday's town hall back to Sacramento and present them to Brown.
A skeleton crew of about ten people will help maintain the home until it opens, Gravett said. Right now there's no set open date, he said.
In the mean time, state lawmakers like Assemblywoman Linda Halderman and Assemblyman Henry T. Perea are asking veterans and their families to call and write letters to Brown to urge him to allocate the money needed to run the facility. They believe the state has the money, but Brown hasn't made the two veterans homes in Fresno or Redding a priority.
"I don't think any of us should give up without a fight. The veterans deserve better than that, and those of us who can stand with the fight have an obligation to do so," said Halderman, a Republican who represents the 29th Assembly District.
Veterans say they're ready to organize a rally in Sacramento if they have to. But after years of waiting, some wonder if even that would make any difference.
"It may be 3-4 years. Even if we go up there and march. All they'll be yelling at us is we don't got the money," said veteran Ben Young.
Gravett says it'll take about six months to hire employees and license the facility once the money is allocated to run the facility.
About $26 million dollars is needed to operate the two facilites in Fresno and Redding for at least the first six months, leaders said.