DCUC Submits Statement for Record on Secondary Mortgage Market and Military Homeownership

By DCUC Staff — February 10, 2026

The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) today submitted a letter to House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance Chairman Mike Flood and Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver following the February 11, 2026, hearing, “Homeownership and the Role of the Secondary Mortgage Market.” DCUC thanked the Subcommittee for its focus on how the structure and functioning of the secondary mortgage market affects housing affordability and access to mortgage credit.

DCUC voiced that for military families and veterans, housing affordability is a readiness and financial security issue shaped by frequent relocations, deployments, and tight housing markets near installations. DCUC stressed the importance of a well-functioning secondary mortgage market that provides reliable liquidity and equitable access for community-based lenders, particularly for FHA and VA lending that serves military borrowers. “As the Subcommittee examines the role of the secondary market, DCUC respectfully urges policymakers to consider not only aggregate liquidity and investor demand, but also how market structure affects the ability of smaller, member-focused institutions to originate and deliver mortgages efficiently. Credit unions rely on predictable, operationally workable secondary-market channels to recycle capital and continue serving members—particularly through government-backed programs such as FHA and VA lending that are critical to military and veteran borrowers,” wrote DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak. DCUC outlined three guiding principles for policymakers: preserving equitable secondary-market access for community lenders; reducing operational frictions that delay or complicate mortgage delivery; and responsibly supporting affordability innovations that expand housing supply. DCUC also highlighted the need to address misconceptions and process barriers that can disadvantage VA borrowers, noting that a more efficient secondary market helps ensure earned benefits translate into real homeownership opportunities.

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Originally reported by DCUC.