Assistance is now available for military families forced to sell their home at a loss, according to the Daily Press.

Although it is a program created only for service members and their families, it can benefit many neighborhoods as these families will be able to afford a new home.

"Military families forced to sell homes at a loss could benefit from an initiative that the Defense Department unveiled earlier this year that can finally begin processing applications.

'I'm just happy we've finally gotten to the point where we can help homeowners,' said Joseph K. Sikes, director of Housing and Competitive Sourcing in the Defense Department. 'It's been a more tortuous process than expected.'

For years, the Homeowner's Assistance Program has helped service members when base closings and realignments depressed property values. Earlier this year, it was temporarily expanded with $555 million of economic stimulus money.

The expansion partially reflects the post- 9/11 challenges that service members and their families now face. It would partially reimburse military personnel, survivors and federal civilian employees for losses from the sale of a primary residence in the following order of priority:

•Homeowners wounded, injured or made ill in the line of duty while deployed since Sept. 11, 2001, and relocating to further their medical treatment.

•Surviving spouse homeowners relocating within two years after the death of their spouse.

•Homeowners affected by the 2005 BRAC round.

Permanent change-of-station for orders received from Feb. 1, 2006, through Dec. 31, 2009. The orders must specify a report-no-later-than date of Feb. 28, 2010, to an area beyond a 50-mile radius of the homeowner's former duty station."

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