Rep. Derrick Van Orden, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, delivered remarks on Mar. 26 at the start of an oversight hearing focused on modernizing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan program.
The discussion is important as the VA Home Loan program currently serves 3.7 million veterans and aims to make homeownership more accessible for veterans, servicemembers, and their families. The committee is working with the Trump administration to expand affordability and reduce unnecessary costs in order to keep housing within reach for those who have served.
Van Orden said that since its creation in 1944, the VA benefit has helped millions achieve homeownership: "The purpose of this VA benefit is to assist veterans and servicemembers with living the American Dream by purchasing their first home." He noted that last fiscal year saw a record loan volume increase of 19% from 2024, with over 29 million loans guaranteed by VA since the program began.
He highlighted recent legislative efforts: "Last year, I championed H.R. 1815, the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, that was signed into law by President Trump." Van Orden said he looks forward to full implementation of this partial claims program designed to help at-risk veterans avoid foreclosure: "This law helps fulfill a promise to those who protected us with their service...by providing a safety net to maintain homeownership."
Van Orden also discussed ongoing efforts to streamline administrative processes within the loan program: "I am working on a piece of legislation that would streamline the VA home loan program by requiring VA to review and update their outdated minimum property requirements and barriers to entry with the appraisal process." He emphasized removing unnecessary bureaucracy so that veteran benefits remain competitive amid changing market conditions.
Looking ahead, Van Orden called for collaboration between government agencies and industry experts: "I want today’s discussion to be meaningful, with the end goal of keeping housing affordable for veterans, servicemembers, and their families." The subcommittee will continue seeking ways to improve access while ensuring long-term affordability.
