Housing help for service members, veterans, and military families — what is available now.
Housing assistance programs are specifically available to active‑duty service members, veterans, wounded warriors, and surviving spouses who are struggling with a mortgage or facing foreclosure. This page covers all the options including the federal Homeowners Assistance Program, the legal protections of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the newly created VA loan partial claims program, and other resources.
Military families face housing challenges that civilians often do not — PCS moves that force a sale at a loss, deployments that make it hard to keep up with payments, transitions out of service during periods of financial instability, and the physical and financial toll of combat injuries. The programs below were created to address those specific situations. For general mortgage help that any homeowner can access regardless of military status, see the main page with a list of mortgage assistance programs for people facing foreclosure.
The DoD Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP)
The Homeowners Assistance Program is a federal program run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the Department of Defense. It provides financial help to eligible military homeowners who have lost money selling their home, cannot sell their home, or face foreclosure.
HAP currently accepts applications from two groups: wounded, injured, or ill service members with a disability rating of 30% or more resulting from a deployment on or after September 11, 2001, and surviving spouses of fallen service members or DoD civilian employees who move within two years of the death. The program is subject to available funding from Congress and will stop when funds run out (if not extended or providing more money).
For those who qualify, HAP can help in several ways. If you sold your home at a loss, the program may reimburse part of that loss. If you still own the home and cannot sell it, the government may purchase it directly, paying the greater of 90% of the home's prior fair market value or the mortgage payoff amount. If foreclosure proceedings have started, HAP may pay benefits directly to the lender to cover legally enforceable liabilities. The program can also reimburse normal and customary closing costs.
To apply, complete DD Form 1607 (Application for DoD Homeowners Assistance Program) and mail it to: U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah Corps of Engineers, Attn: CESAS-RE-AH, 100 West Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, GA 31401-3604. Call 800-861-8144 or email [email protected] with questions. Full program details and eligibility criteria are at https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Real-Estate/HAP/.
SCRA Protections for Active Duty Service Members
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is a federal law — not an assistance program you apply for, but a set of legal rights that protect active duty service members. Two of its most important provisions relate to mortgages.
If you took out a mortgage before going on active duty and your service has made it harder to make payments, you can request that your interest rate be capped at 6% for the entire period of active duty and for one year afterward. The portion of interest above 6% is permanently forgiven — your lender cannot add it back later. To get this protection, send your lender written notice along with a copy of your orders.
A lender also cannot foreclose on a home secured by a mortgage you took out before entering active duty without first getting a court order, even if you are behind on payments. This protection lasts throughout active duty service and for 12 months after you leave. It applies whether or not you told your lender about your military status.
These protections apply only to loans taken out before you went on active duty. If you are having trouble getting your lender to honor your SCRA rights, contact your nearest military legal assistance office at https://legalassistance.law.af.mil/. You can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at 1-855-411-2372. See also a more extensive Servicemembers Civil Relief Act guide.
VA Loan Help — The New Partial Claims Program
Veterans with VA-guaranteed home loans have a new foreclosure prevention option available as of 2025. The VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, signed into law on July 30, 2025, created a permanent partial claims program to help veterans who have fallen behind on their VA-backed mortgage.
Under this program, the VA covers your past-due payments by paying that amount to your lender and placing a lien on your property. Your loan is brought current and you resume your regular payments. You do not pay the deferred amount back until you sell the home, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage — and no interest accrues on it. This program was created to fill the gap left when the prior VA Servicing Purchase program ended in May 2025.
If you have a VA-guaranteed loan and are behind on payments, contact the VA loan program directly at 877-827-3702 or visit https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/trouble-making-payments. VA loan technicians can also help with repayment plans, loan modifications, short sales, and deed in lieu of foreclosure. Once a VA loan is 61 days past due, the VA will automatically assign a loan technician to review it.
Basic Needs Allowance for Active Duty Families
Active duty service members whose household income falls below a certain level relative to their family size may qualify for the Basic Needs Allowance, a monthly cash payment that can be used for any household expense including mortgage or rent. Learn more on the Basic Needs Allowance.
Housing Help for Veterans at Risk of Homelessness
Veterans who are homeless or at risk of losing housing can access the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, known as SSVF. It provides grants to nonprofit organizations that help veterans find and keep stable housing, and can assist with overdue rent or mortgage payments, utility deposits, moving costs, and temporary housing. Find details on the SSVF veteran housing program.
The VA also operates the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-424-3838, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Free Counseling and Additional Help
HUD-approved housing counselors provide free foreclosure prevention counseling and can give independent advice before you make any decisions about a loan modification, short sale, or any other option your servicer offers. Call 1-800-569-4287 or find an agency at https://www.hud.gov/findacounselor.
Some states have additional grant and assistance programs specifically for military families dealing with housing hardship. Check with your state's veterans services agency to find out what may be available locally and we also have a directory of state mortgage assistance programs.
This page provides general information about housing assistance programs available to military families and veterans. Program eligibility, funding levels, and terms change. The VA partial claims program was enacted July 30, 2025 and is being implemented — contact the VA directly at 877-827-3702 for current availability. Verify all program details directly with the administering agency before making decisions.
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