Complete the Homestead Declaration form. The form must be printed legibly in black ink.There has been no federal homesteading program in Alaska; the State of Alaska, however, created public land disposal programs starting with statehood in 1959. The homestead can't exceed one acre in a city or 160 acres in a rural area. This can provide asset protection from creditors for at least some of house's value. If you have not changed the title on the property from the time you originally filed your homestead declaration, then you do not need to file a new one. What was the history leading up to the 1862 Homestead Act? As the United States emerged as a new nation in the late 18th century, it accumulated title to land. A homestead exemption protects at least part of the value of the homestead from creditors. No. Congress repealed the Homestead Act in 1976 (except for Alaska, where it was repealed in 1986).