Nov. 11 might be the day America officially celebrates its veterans, but for many home builders, that’s a task done year-round.
It’s true: From major names like Meritage Homes and Taylor Morrison to smaller, more regional companies, home builders across the nation are doubling down on their work for veterans.
They’re partnering with veteran-focused nonprofits. They’re donating funds and volunteer hours. In some cases, they’re even handing over entire houses (mortgage-free, nonetheless).
Navy Petty Officer First Class Garfield Johnson is one of the lucky recipients of the latter. Garfield, his wife Tia, and their two children—Gabrielle and Gavin—moved into their mortgage-free, four-bedroom home in Tampa, Florida, just last month.
“It means the world to our family,” Garfield says. “We are so thankful.”
The Johnsons’ home was built by Meritage in partnership with Operation Homefront, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans transition to civilian life. It was the 14th Operation Homefront property Meritage has donated in the last eight years.
“Our military families have given so much for this country,” says Phillippe Lord, CEO of Meritage Homes, No. 6 on the 2021 Builder 100 list. “We couldn’t be prouder to donate homes to these families who have sacrificed so much for our country.”
The Power of a Helping Hand
According to John I. Pray Jr., a retired Air Force general and president of Operation Homefront, gifts like Meritage’s can be life-changing—especially as veterans adjust to life outside the military.
“We have found that many military families underestimate the cost of transition as they move from active duty back into their civilian communities,” Pray says. “They can be literally one emergency car repair away from a financial crisis, and that one small financial crisis kind of sets in motion a never-ending series of financial crises that derail any hope of a brighter future.”
While the Johnsons weren’t in financial crisis, they were facing skyrocketing home prices and steep competition—both of which made buying a home all but impossible.
“We would not have been able to purchase a home without Operation Homefront,” Garfield says.
Now, the Johnsons are happily settled in their mortgage-free, 1,800-square-foot home—a place Garfield calls “beautiful.” Their favorite part? That’d be the family pictures Operation Homefront scattered throughout.
“We love the personalized pictures used to decorate the home most,” he says. “The pictures of us all around the house really make us feel at home.”
The Johnsons are just one of many families who’ve reaped the benefits of Operation Homefront, which has given out about 650 permanent homes since 2012.
“It has a generational impact,” Pray says. “They are able to transfer that equity that they have in that home to their loved ones—their kids.”
Courtesy Holiday Builders
Holiday Builders and Building Homes for Heroes recently built a home for Army Sergeant First Class John Goudie and his family in Freeport, Florida.
A Nationwide Effort
Operation Homefront isn’t the only organization working to provide veterans with housing. There’s also Operation Finally Home, Homes for our Troops, and Building Homes for Heroes, which gives a veteran a mortgage-free house every 11 days.
Holiday Builders, a home builder based in Florida and ranked No. 64 on the 2021 Builder 100, recently built a home for Building Homes for Heroes. It was gifted to Army Sergeant First Class John Goudie and featured a personalized floor plan and interior design based on the Goudie family’s needs.
“It got us in the feels,” says Michelle Smallwood, vice president of sales and marketing for Holiday Builders. “Truly, the buy-in at all levels of management was immediate from the moment the decision was made to partner with Building Homes for Heroes.”
It’s not the first time Holiday has given back to veterans. The builder actually offers closing cost discounts for veterans and has gifted properties in the past.
Taylor Morrison, No. 5 on the 2021 Builder 100, is also finding creative ways to give back to America’s military. The company recently dedicated a street in one of its Sacramento communities to a local military member, and they’ve also partnered with HomeAid and Volunteers of America to remodel and furnish apartment units for veterans.
Most notably, they’re also the lead sponsor on Habitat for Humanity Sarasota’s Veterans Build program, which offers housing and employment opportunities for local vets. So far, the company has donated over $30,000 to the program, as well as countless volunteer hours. CEO Sheryl Palmer was even honored with BUILDER’s Humanitarian Award for her dedication to giving back.
