Published Jul 29, 2026, 3:00 AM EDT
Reps. Gwen Moore and Rudy Yakym put forth the 'Veterans Surviving Spouse Parity Act' to align federal veteran housing programs with state programs.
A bipartisan effort between two congressional representatives in Washington could pave the way for surviving spouses of military veterans to gain access to first-time housing benefits state-by-state. Representative Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) and Representative Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.) introduced the Veterans Surviving Spouse Parity Act on July 23 to help surviving spouses of veterans gain access to housing programs that benefit first-time homebuyers. Under current law, surviving spouses of veterans can access federal VA home loans but not state-run Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) and Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) programs.
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) introduced the Veterans Surviving Spouse Parity Act o allow surviving spouses of military veterans to access veteran housing benefits state-by-state. (House.gov).
"These are federal tax credits and federal bonds used by these state programs, and yet the survivors of veterans were not eligible," Congresswoman Moore said in an interview with Military.com. "There's a tremendous sacrifice when it comes to serving. But housing is one thing where military families could have some stability."
