America’s Veterans Are Losing Their Homes — and Most of Us Don’t Even Realize How Critical the Moment Is

keepourvetshoused
Jan 6
3 min read

Every day, the dream of homeownership — long a symbol of stability, family security, and the American Dream — is slipping through the fingers of the people who defended this country. While most of us go about our daily lives, thousands of veteran families are on the brink of losing the roofs over their heads. This is not a distant problem. It’s here. It’s now. And it matters to every community in this nation.

Veterans Still Own Homes at Much Higher Rates Than Most Americans

Veterans have long been more likely to own homes than their non-military peers. Thanks to the VA Home Loan benefit, roughly 79% of veterans in the U.S. own their homes — a rate significantly higher than the civilian average. This benefit has empowered millions to build wealth, raise families, and anchor communities across the country. VA News+1

Today there are more than 3.5 million active VA-guaranteed home loans nationwide — a testament to the reach and importance of the program. DAV

Homeownership for veterans isn’t just about property — it’s about:

Stability after service
Intergenerational wealth building
Community and civic roots

But that foundation is under threat.

Delinquencies and Foreclosures Are Rising — Especially for VA Loans

Across the U.S. housing market, mortgage distress is growing. Foreclosures and delinquencies are climbing year-over-year — and loans backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs are no exception. MBA

📉 Key Data on Mortgage Problems

Serious delinquency — defined as loans 90+ days past due or in foreclosure — remains significantly higher for VA loans (about 2.30%) than the broader market average (about 1.61%). FHFA.gov
While foreclosure rates across all mortgages are still lower than historic crisis levels, VA loans in foreclosure have surged to their highest levels in years. National Mortgage News
Mortgage delinquencies on VA loans have been elevated and trending upward as safety nets expire and federal moratoriums end. MBA

In simple terms: a disproportionate share of struggling homeowners today are veterans — people who served this nation, now facing eviction from their own homes.

The Safety Net Is Gone — Leaving Veterans Exposed

For a brief period, the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program offered struggling veteran homeowners a lifeline. It allowed the VA to buy troubled mortgages and restructure them at more affordable rates. But as of May 1, 2025, that program was shut down with no replacement in place. Consumer Law Attorneys

That one policy change has had devastating consequences:

Legal advocacy estimates about 90,000 veterans are seriously delinquent on VA-backed mortgages. Consumer Law Attorneys
Of those, roughly 33,000 are already in foreclosure proceedings. Consumer Law Attorneys
And tens of thousands more could fall into default without effective intervention. Reddit

This isn’t a statistical footnote. It’s a looming wave of home loss affecting real families, real children, and real communities.

Why This Matters to All of Us

🏠 Veterans Are Our Neighbors and Community Pillars

When a veteran loses a home:

Families become unstable
Schools lose engaged parents
Local economies feel the strain

This isn’t just a “veteran problem.” It’s a community crisis with consequences for renters, buyers, employers, and cities nationwide.

📉 Foreclosures Don’t Stay Isolated

Rising foreclosures can:

Depress local housing markets
Erode property values
Increase public costs for homelessness prevention

Mortgage distress is often a leading economic indicator — a signal that broader financial stress may be spreading. When one corner of the housing market weakens, the effects ripple outward.

This Is a Moral Issue

We ask veterans to defend this country. We give them a home-loan benefit meant to ensure they can come home, build a life, and reintegrate into society. We cannot stand by while that promise evaporates.

This Moment Is Critical — The Time to Act Is Now

The rise in veteran mortgage distress isn’t a distant statistic — it’s a crisis here now.Thousands of American veterans are facing foreclosure, losing equity, and watching the security of their families unravel.

We owe them more than gratitude — we owe them assistance, policy reform, community support, and a system that protects their homes as fiercely as they protected ours.

Sources & Citations

VA and veteran homeownership data: nearly 80% homeownership for veterans. VA News
FAA mortgage reports showing elevated delinquent and foreclosure rates for VA loans. FHFA.gov
MBA and industry reports confirming trends in VA loan delinquency. MBA
Termination of the VASP program and resulting foreclosure risk estimates. Consumer Law Attorneys