How has housing crisis hit your family?
Monday, March 02, 2009
Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk work on three Habitat for Humanity homes in Bremerton. (U.S. Navy photo)
Service members and advocacy groups say the housing crisis has hit military families particularly hard. With housing values dropping and fewer people buying, orders to move to a new duty station can bring unexpected financial hardship.
"There are lots of folks who need to move and sell their homes," Melanie Reeder, spokeswoman for Navy Region Northwest, told the Kitsap Sun, speaking about both military and civilian families. "Navy personnel don't have a choice when they're told to move."
Foreclosure may have greater consequences for military personnel than for most civilians, as a Washington Post article pointed out:
The prospect of foreclosure is particularly daunting for career service members, as credit checks are required to gain security clearances. The increased financial stress comes at a time when many active service members have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, military advocates said.
A provision in the latest economic stimulus package offers some relief for military families who meet certain criteria.