A tour in the military can be a grueling and sometimes traumatizing experience. And while there’s a lot of attention being paid to the lack of medical care for veterans and the scars they sometimes come home with, the issues of integration back into society are much broader than that. While military training may instill in soldiers a sense of camaraderie and discipline, it doesn’t always provide them with the skills they need to function in the real world. Homelessness in the veteran community is an epidemic, but there are fortunately a number of resources that vets can use to get back on their feet.
The Office of Veteran Affairs
The Office of Veteran Affairs has been taking some substantive efforts to help veterans find a home of their own when they return from service. The VA Home Loan Guarantee is an initiative that puts special attention on veterans with disabilities. Finding work with a disability can be a difficult affair, and rates of homelessness are especially high among disabled vets. While a standard of credit and income is required to apply for the loan, it comes with a number of useful benefits. Approved veterans don’t need to deal with private mortgage insurance, and they could get a home with zero down payment. Interest rates are competitive, and there are no pre-payment penalties.
The VA also offers a pair of grants to many disabled veterans. Rather than being assigned through a VA approved lender, these grants are offered directly through the Office of Veteran Affairs. Unfortunately, the terms are a little more strict than the available loans for disabled vets. But for those who qualify, these grants can be used in a number of different ways. While a grant can be used to purchase a home that already exists, it can also be applied to remodeling your existing home or to build a home on existing land. The principle purpose of these grants is to make sure that disabled veterans have homes that are adapted to the needs of their disabilities.
These are just scratching the surface regarding the housing resources available to veterans, but untangling the options available to you can be difficult. Whether you’re dealing with the imminent threat of homelessness, searching for information on the benefits available to you, or simply looking to better understand the eligibility requirements for loans and grants, there are options. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help when it’s needed