Veteran Housing Assistance: Loans, Grants & Homelessness Programs

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has assisted veterans with home-ownership since 1944, when Congress enacted the loan guaranty program to help veterans returning from World War II purchase homes. The loan guaranty program assists veterans by insuring mortgages made by private lenders, and is available for the purchase or construction of homes as well as to refinance existing loans. A third way in which the VA provides housing assistance to both veterans and active duty service members is through the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Program. Through the SAH program, veterans with certain service-connected disabilities may obtain grants from the VA to purchase or remodel homes to fit their needs. This book discusses these three types of housing assistance; the loan guaranty program, direct loan programs, and Specially Adapted Housing program – their origins, how they operate, and how they are funded. Additionally, the default and foreclosure of VA-guaranteed loans is discussed.