VA home loan program added $4 trillion to US economy since WWII

The Veterans Affairs Home Loans program has added nearly $4 trillion to the U.S. economy over its 80-year history, according to an independent analysis released in conjunction with the milestone anniversary.

The findings, from University of Missouri economics professor Joseph Haslag, point to a dramatic return on taxpayer investment in veterans homes since the end of World War II, when the home loan program began. The study was backed by Veterans United Home Loans, a Missouri-based lender, to mark the June 22 start date of the program.

“This historic benefit has helped millions of veterans and military families build wealth and shaped the growth of the American middle class,” Chris Birk, vice president of mortgage insight at Veterans United, said in a statement. “Today, this hard-earned benefit is more important than it has ever been.”