Barrett Continues Blueprint Rollout, Introduces Plan to Make Housing Affordable for National Guard and Reservists

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today introduced the Home Affordability for Guard and Reserve Act (H.R. 7009) to help make it more affordable for members of the National Guard and Armed Forces Reserve to buy a home. This legislation would lower the out-of-pocket cost of purchasing a home by expanding eligibility for VA home loans, which are offered to service members, veterans, and surviving spouses at a competitive interest rate with no down payment required.

This legislation is part of Barrett's Blueprint for a Better America, a bold policy framework he announced yesterday to disrupt the broken status quo in Washington and stand up for working families. One of the five main goals of the blueprint is to revive the American dream and lower housing costs for families, which is paramount at a time when the average age of first-time home buyers in America is now 40 years old and continues to rise.

"VA home loans are a critical resource that make it possible for countless service members, veterans, and their families to buy their first home. This program helped me and my wife buy the home we still raise our family in today," said Barrett. "Every person who sacrifices and puts on the uniform, including our National Guard members and reservists who stand ready to serve when disaster strikes, deserves the opportunity to buy a home they can afford. Expanding eligibility for this life-changing program is the right thing to do and will help make the American Dream a reality for families in our communities."

Under current law, eligibility rules generally restrict National Guard and Reserve members from receiving a VA home loan unless they have served at least 90 days of non-training federal active duty or six years in the National Guard or Reserve. The Home Affordability for Guard and Reserve Act would expand eligibility and allow Guard and Reserve members who have served 14 total days of active duty, inactive duty training, or annual training duty to apply for a VA home loan. This would make VA home loans accessible to nearly every service member who is in good standing and ready to deploy if called upon.

Click here to learn more about the VA Home Loan Program.

Click here to read the full bill text.