The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides guarantees to lenders for eligible borrowers to obtain better loan terms—such as lower interest rates or smaller down payments—when purchasing, constructing, or refinancing a home. VA typically pays lenders up to 25 percent of the outstanding mortgage balance if a borrower’s home is foreclosed upon. Those payments, net of fees paid by borrowers and recoveries by lenders, constitute the subsidy cost for the loan guarantees and are paid from mandatory appropriations. Any changes to those costs affect direct spending.
