FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - With the onset of summer comes a season unique to military personnel - permanent change of station season.
For many home-owning Soldiers and civilian employees, the prospects for selling have become less than favorable as the housing market continues to struggle.
That's why $555 million in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been earmarked for the Department of Defense Homeowner's Assistance Program for service members forced to sell their homes at a loss through no fault of their own.
Originally designed to help Soldiers and their families affected by the Base Realignment and Closure the program has been expanded to cover warriors in transition, surviving spouses and to temporarily cover normal PCS.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the temporary program expansion removes the requirement for proof of the causal relationship between the BRAC announcement and the real estate market decline.
"The program basically is the Department of Defense program for service members who are in a financial bind and can't sell their home," said Yolanda McDaniel, off-post housing office. "They're going to help you sell your home, or if you can't sell it they're going to purchase [it]."
For eligible applicants, HAP offers four assistance options for those who are unable to sell their homes under reasonable terms and conditions, as determined by the Department of Defense.
First is to reimburse part of the loss from the sale of the home, up to 95 percent of the difference between the home's value at the time of purchase and the actual selling price.
The second is to assist in paying-off the mortgage if the funds from the sale of the home aren't sufficient.
The third is to purchase the home for no more than 75 percent of the appraised value, or by paying off the mortgage, whichever amount is greater.
Last is to offer assistance if the applicant has defaulted on the mortgage, or payment of foreclosure costs if foreclosure proceedings have already begun.
"There is an application on the HAP Web site," McDaniel said. "The service members can pull up the fact sheet and can come into our office if they need assistance to apply for the program. We provide that. We can also provide them hand out or any kind of counseling they need on selling their home."
The HAP Web site lists specific requirements for eligibility under the new expansion for wounded warriors, surviving spouses and PCS members.
For wounded warriors who owned a home at the time of their injury, the injury had to have been incurred during a deployment on or after Sept. 11, 2001. The Soldier has to have been disabled 30 percent or more and reassigned for medical treatment or rehabilitation, or medically retired in connection with the injury.
For surviving spouses, the Soldier must have been killed in action or in the performance of his or her duties during a deployment on or after Sept. 11, 2001, or died from a wound, injury or illness incurred in the line of duty during such a deployment and the spouse must have relocated within two years of the Soldier's death.
For Soldiers PCSing more than 50 miles away, the dates are much more restrictive:
Aca,!AcReassignment ordered between Feb. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2009.
Aca,!AcProperty purchased (or contract to purchase signed) before July 1, 2006.
Aca,!AcProperty sold by owner between July 1, 2006, and May 1, 2010.
Aca,!AcProperty was the primary residence of the owner.
If the Soldier or spouse feels they meet these requirements, they're encouraged to fill out an application and mail it to the HAP district office in Savannah, Ga. Depending on staffing and application volume, it may take between three and six months for processing.
The applications will also be prioritized with foreclosure threats being processed first, followed by wounded warriors and surviving spouses.
"We wanted to communicate with the Soldiers and the families to encourage them to utilize the resource available and to let them know it's OK to ask for help - to not be afraid to say I need some help. That's what the program is for," McDaniel said. "Our office has information and guidance available if they want to come in and ask for assistance."
For more information, contact off-post housing assistance at (270) 798-3808 or visit the HAP Web page at http://hap.usace.army.mil/homepage.html.
Other useful links include,
Aca,!Acwww.defenselink.mil/recovery/
Aca,!Achttp://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil
Aca,!Acwww.myarmyonesource.com.
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