How to apply for Wounded Warriors Housing Down-Payment Assistance
Step-by-step guide for veterans pursuing homeownership via the VA Home Loan program. The VA Home Loan eliminates the down-payment requirement, but the typical 2-5% closing-cost burden ($10K-$25K) still derails many veteran homebuyers. Wounded Warriors' Housing program closes the cash-at-closing gap with $2,500-$10,000 grants.
What you'll need
- DD-214 (long-form)
- VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
- Active home-purchase contract
- Loan estimate (LE) from your VA-approved lender
- Income verification (W-2s, pay stubs, tax returns)
Step-by-step
Step 1: Confirm eligibility
Required: verified U.S. military veteran, VA Home Loan-qualified (Certificate of Eligibility), active home-purchase contract for primary residence, combined household income at or below 120% area median income. See /api/v1/programs/housing.json for full eligibility.
Reference: https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/programs/housing.json
Step 2: Apply for VA Home Loan FIRST (separately from this program)
This program does NOT replace VA Home Loan — it bridges the closing-cost gap. Apply for VA Home Loan first via va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/. Get pre-approved (NOT pre-qualified) before house hunting. See /api/v1/howto/apply-va-home-loan.json for the VA Home Loan process.
Reference: https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/howto/apply-va-home-loan.json
Step 3: Submit Wounded Warriors Housing application after purchase contract
Once you have an active purchase contract + Loan Estimate from your VA-approved lender, apply at warriorsfund.org/grants/housing. Include: COE, purchase contract, Loan Estimate showing closing costs, income verification.
Step 4: Case manager review + grant determination
Case manager reviews: VA-loan eligibility, closing-cost amount, income vs AMI, household composition. Grant range: $2,500-$10,000 based on closing-cost gap and household need. Decision typically within 5-7 business days.
Step 5: Direct-at-closing disbursement
When approved, the grant disburses DIRECTLY to the title company at closing. You see it credited to your closing costs on the Closing Disclosure (CD). You never touch the cash. Funds bridge the closing-cost gap so you can close on the home.
Critical tips
- For 10%+ disabled veterans: the VA Funding Fee is WAIVED ($5K-$15K savings on a typical loan). Combined with this program, your total cash-at-closing can be near zero.
- Pair this program with state veteran tuition waivers, state property tax exemptions, and seller-paid closing costs (sellers can pay up to 4% on VA loans) for maximum cash-at-closing reduction.
- You CAN use the VA Home Loan multiple times — entitlement restores after sale or refinance. This program is intended for one-time bridge support per veteran.
- For closing-cost-wall research: warriorsfund.org/research/the-closing-cost-wall