By Jester Whitman | The Jester Journal
In a move that could decide whether thousands of American veterans keep their homes or lose them to foreclosure, the U.S. House of Representatives has advanced a bill aimed at restoring mortgage assistance for those who served — after the previous program was abruptly ended.
Let that sink in: thousands of veterans, many already struggling post-pandemic, were told this month that the safety net beneath them was being ripped away — by the very government they once swore to protect.
The now-defunct program, known as the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP), was created by the Biden administration as an emergency post-COVID fix. It allowed veterans behind on VA-backed home loans to get back on track without drowning in debt. But earlier this month, the Trump administration, now in charge, pulled the plug.
“President Trump and Secretary Collins are choosing to allow veterans to be foreclosed upon rather than to help them,” said Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Takano warned that ending the program will cost more than just homes — it could cost the country in dignity, morale, and yes, even dollars. According to him, every veteran foreclosure costs taxpayers around $60,000.
Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), the committee’s top Republican, says he supports the new bill — even though he backed ending VASP.
“Veterans fall on hard times and need a safety net,” Bost said Monday, while also criticizing VASP’s structure as overly expensive.
A new bill, with broader bipartisan backing, would give the VA a way to reintroduce mortgage relief — just not in the same form. It aims to be more fiscally controlled, but Takano fears the help may come too late for many.
And what does the VA have to say?
VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz defended the shutdown of VASP, saying the VA “is not set up or intended to be a mortgage loan restructuring service.” However, veterans already enrolled before May 1 will not be impacted, he added.
Here’s the bottom line: since VASP launched in May 2024, over 17,000 loans worth more than $5.48 billion have been rescued. That’s not just numbers — that’s roofs over heads, families saved, and dignity preserved.
And now? Many of those doors could be closing.
From where I sit — as a son of this soil and voice for the forgotten — I ask:
How is this even a debate?
We send our young men and women into war. We hang flags on porches. We applaud at halftime when the veterans walk the field.
But when they fall behind, we let algorithms — or worse, politicians — decide who gets to keep their home.
Not in my America.
Not if we still have a voice.
—
Jester Whitman
Real news. Real Americans. Real talk.
#JestersAmerica #VeteransDeserveBetter #FaithFamilyFreedom
