ARRA expands Homeowners Assistance Program

  • Published
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Homeowners Assistance Program has been expanded to financially compensate a larger number of eligible military and civilian federal employee homeowners. 

In February 2009, Congress enacted ARRA, an economic stimulus package intended to stimulate the U.S. economy. 

The program will now include providing assistance to wounded armed forces members with 30 percent or greater disability as well as wounded Department of Defense and Coast Guard civilian homeowners reassigned in furtherance of medical treatment of rehabilitation or due to medical retirement in connection with a disability. In addition, surviving spouses of the fallen; 2005 Base Realignment and Closure impacted homeowners relocating during the mortgage crisis; and military homeowners undergoing permanent change of station moves during the mortgage crisis are now included. 

Executing the Homeowners Assistance Program is the Army, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers implementing the program. As part of its service, the program provides some monetary relief to servicemembers and federal employee homeowners who suffer financial loss on the sale of their primary residence. 

To apply, eligible applicants must visit the HAP Web site http://hap.usace.army.mil/ and download the application package. After completing the application, mail it to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer District responsible for the area where the home is located.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will analyze the community's real estate market, conduct market impact studies and make a recommendation to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Housing for a final determination. 

For eligible applicants, the government may reimburse for part of the loss from selling a house, assist people if they don't have funds from the sale of the home to pay-off mortgage, purchase home by paying off the mortgage and help if the homeowners default on their mortgage. 

HAP benefits are based on the prior fair market value of the applicant's home and are taxable. For expanded HAP, the market value is the home's purchase price and the eventual price when selling the home. Processing time is normally between 60 to 90 days provided all required documents are submitted. The government will reimburse eligible applicants for mortgage interest (not principal payments), taxes and hazard insurance premiums that have been paid from the date the Corps of Engineers District office received the application or the date of vacation of the premises, whichever is later. 

For more information, visit the Web site at http://hap.usace.army.mil/homepage.html.