DCUC Commends Senate Efforts to Reform and Improve VA Home Loan Program

Anthony Hernandez

​The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) commends Senators Tim Sheehy’s (R-MT) and Chris Van Hollen’s (D-MD) introduction of the VA Home Loan Awareness Act of 2025. In recent letters, DCUC has urged Congressional committees for necessary reform to the current VA Home Loan program to enhance and ensure improved housing access and resources for our Nation’s military and veteran communities.
 
Joining in support of the bill are Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ted Budd (R-NC), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Boozman (R-AR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Peter Welch (D-VT), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), John Kennedy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
 
“The Defense Credit Union Council thanks Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) for their leadership in introducing the VA Home Loan Awareness Act. This bipartisan effort reflects a critical step forward in addressing the challenges faced by our military and veteran communities in achieving homeownership,” said Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President/CEO.
 
Jason Stverak, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer, said “The VA Home Loan program is an invaluable resource, but inefficiencies in the appraisal process and misconceptions about VA loans continue to create barriers for veterans. We’ve seen this issue arise in our conversations with our member credit unions who are continuously striving to empower their military and veteran members with home ownership resources.” Stverak added, “We urge Congress and federal agencies to work collaboratively to streamline the process, educate sellers and real estate professionals, and ensure affordable housing and credit access for service members and their families.”
 
DCUC recently called for Congress to require that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, address these challenges by streamlining the appraisal process and launching initiatives to educate sellers and real estate professionals about the benefits of VA loans, especially in current housing markets with high-interest rates.
 
DCUC has also raised concerns over lack of affordable housing and credit access to military and veteran families, as well as mortgage regulations.
 
“The rising cost of housing disproportionately affects military families, particularly those stationed near high-cost urban areas. This issue is exacerbated by limited availability of affordable housing options, especially rental properties for short-term assignments…while defense credit unions work diligently to ensure credit access, regulatory burdens often create barriers. Strict compliance requirements for mortgage lending, coupled with differing interpretations of guidelines, increase costs for credit unions and reduce loan affordability for our members.”
 
DCUC continues to call on agencies to collaborate with federal regulators to ensure that policies promote credit access while maintaining appropriate oversight, and to prioritize expanding financial counseling, particularly for first-time homebuyers, to further enhance long-term financial stability among service members and veterans.
 
Recalling the outcome of the March 2024 class-action lawsuit involving the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), DCUC has urged Congressional leaders to require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) work with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to monitor the settlement’s impact on the real estate market and pursue additional rulemaking to support veterans’ access to homeownership; letter here. See additional DCUC correspondence on this matter sent to the Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee last May, the House Financial Services Committee, and the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee.
 
Senator Van Hollen stated “After serving our country in uniform, our veterans deserve the support of a grateful nation. The VA Home Loan Program is one way we provide that support – by helping veterans purchase homes. But far too many of our veterans are unaware of this program and what it has to offer. Our bipartisan bill will help ensure more veterans and their families have the opportunity to use it to achieve their goal of homeownership.”
 
“For decades, owning a home has been the bedrock of the American Dream, but too often, those who have put their lives on the line for our country have been hampered by a lack of information from their own government. I’m proud to join Senator Van Hollen and my other colleagues in introducing this commonsense measure to empower our veterans with the knowledge and resources necessary to secure a VA Home Loan and achieve the same dream they fought to defend,” said Senator Sheehy.
 
See the official congressional announcement and overview here.
 
For more information, please contact Jason Stverak at [email protected] and visit dcuc.org/advocacy.

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