Attorney General Tom Horne Awards “Housing Opportunity for Service Disabled Veterans” Program Contracts From National Mortgage Settlement Funds

New Program Designed to Help Disabled Veterans Stay in Their Homes

Phoenix, AZ – July 18, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — – Attorney General Tom Horne today announced the award of over $2.5 million to fund loans to veterans with service-connected disabilities for accessibility and related improvements to their homes. The “Housing Opportunity for Service Disabled Veterans” program is funded by the national mortgage settlement reached with the nation’s five largest mortgage loan servicers (Ally/GMAC, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo).

Two year contracts were awarded to Habitat for Humanity Tucson to serve individuals in Pima County, and Maricopa County Human Services to serve individuals in Maricopa County.

The new program will help veterans with service-connected disabilities who own homes, stay in their homes by providing up to a $65,000 loan to make needed accessibility and other improvements. Eligible individuals are veterans who cannot afford both the mortgage and the cost of accessibility improvements, putting them at risk of foreclosure.

The “Housing Opportunity for Service Disabled Veterans” program is part of an array of programs and direct consumer support funded through the National Mortgage Settlement funds administered through the Attorney General’s Office. In addition to assistance to veterans, the Attorney General’s Office has awarded contracts for housing counseling, legal services, a loan fund program, relocation assistance and job training. More information about the mortgage settlement programs is available at www.azmortgageresource.gov.

Program Information

The “Housing Opportunity for Service Disabled Veterans” program announced today is expected to launch in early August.

Questions for Habitat for Humanity Tucson, www.habitattucson.org, may be directed to T Van Hook, Executive Director at (520) 270-8143.

Questions for Maricopa County Human Services, www.hsd.maricopa.gov, may be directed to Amy Jacobson, Assistant Director – Community Development, (602) 372-1528.

Arizona Attorney General’s Office

People with questions regarding the mortgage settlements or who wish to file a consumer complaint can visit the Arizona Attorney General’s office website at www.azag.gov, contact us by email at mortgagefraud (at) azag (dot) gov, or by phone at 602-542-1797 or 1-855-256-2834 (outside Phoenix area). To learn more about the national mortgage settlement programs, visit www.azmortgageresource.gov.