WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) supported two bipartisan bills, the VA Home Loan Awareness Act and the Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act, to make it easier for those who have served their communities and our country to buy a home.
“The teachers, first responders, and veterans who serve Arizona and our nation are invaluable, but too often, they struggle to afford a home. Their work makes the American dream possible for others; they should be able to achieve it too,” said Sentor Gallego. “That’s why I’m proud to support these bills to make homeownership more accessible for the people who teach our kids, protect our neighborhoods, and serve our country.”
The VA Home Loan Awareness Act will help more veterans take advantage of the VA Home Loan program. Despite its benefits, only 13 percent of veterans access the VA Home Loan program. Among veterans who don’t use the VA Home Loan program, 33 percent say they are not aware of the program.
The VA Home Loan Awareness Act will increase awareness of the VA Home Loan program by:
- Adding a disclosure to the Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) informing veterans they may be eligible for a VA Home Loan;
- Directing applicants to consult their lender for more information about the VA Home Loan program; and
- Instructing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review and report to Congress on lenders’ adoption of these URLA updates.
Read the full legislation HERE.
The HELPER Act would eliminate many of the upfront home purchase costs and the monthly mortgage insurance premium for those who serve our communities.
The bill would establish a new home loan program under the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for law enforcement, fire fighters, medical first responders, and teachers. Specifically, these individuals would be eligible for a first-time mortgage on a primary family residence with no down payment. Instead, the mortgage would be subject to a one-time, up-front mortgage insurance premium.
Read the full legislation HERE.
These bills continue Senator Gallego’s work to increase affordable housing access in Arizona. He recently introduced the bipartisan HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act to increase inter-governmental coordination on housing support programs; the bipartisan Housing Affordability Act, which would increase the supply of affordable housing by increasing the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) outdated multifamily loan limits; the bipartisan Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA) to help homeless disabled veterans access housing assistance; the Housing Vouchers Fairness Act, which would update the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) decades-old Housing Choice Voucher allocation formula; and the bipartisan Appraisal Industry Improvement Act to address the nationwide shortage of licensed home appraisers and improve access to housing in rural and tribal communities in Arizona.
5/29/25