The mission of the National Association of Home Builders is to “Build Homes, Enrich Communities and Change Lives.” Our 140,000 members are laying the foundation of the future of housing every day with the work they do. One of the communities our builders support is the veterans who have served our
country. In honor of Veterans Day, I want to highlight the ways home builders are providing opportunities and making dreams come true for our nation’s heroes.
Transitioning from active military service to civilian life can be challenging, says Jason Latona, assistant director for specially adapted housing at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Jason works closely with financing entities that aid service members in renting, buying, or building a home. “Veterans may face unique challenges when trying to purchase a home,” Jason notes. “Factors like credit history, income, affordability, down payment availability, and frequent relocation or deployment can create barriers to homeownership.”
NAHB supports builders and buyers—veterans, as well as active-duty service members and their families—taking advantage of programs that assist with financing, such as the VA Loan Guaranty program, the Native American Direct Loan program, and the Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan. But often, within the veteran community, there are accessibility challenges that can make it harder to find a home that meets the needs of the resident or future buyer.
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Programs to purchase and finance a new home can leave some behind. Many of the accessibility features that wounded service members require, such as lower sinks and countertops and wider doorways, don’t come standard, especially in older homes. NAHB has worked closely with the VA to create an app that helps builders identify Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance pathways to bring more housing accessibility to more Americans. Find out more about “The Pocket Guide to Fair Housing Act Accessibility App” here.
The VA’s Specially Adapted Housing Grant (SAH) program helps wounded and disabled service members access grant funds to buy, build, or adapt a home to meet their accessibility needs. It is critical that builders and consumers have access to funding like this, supported by the federal government, to meet veterans’ needs. But there are opportunities for builders to be more hands-on in their own communities.
Home Builders Providing Support to Our Veterans
When NAHB member Matt Belcher, a home builder and building systems expert from Missouri, began working and volunteering in the nonprofit space, he saw a need for additional support for veteran homeownership. Along with his business partner, San Antonio builder Dan Vargas, Matt created Operation Triage, a 501(c)(3) emergency advocacy and financial relief organization for veterans that provides mortgage-free homes and home remodeling to disabled veterans, first responders, and active-duty service members.
The nonprofit works with a variety of groups, from builders to financiers, to provide accessible, mortgage-free homes to those who have sacrificed for their country. To fund their work, Matt and Dan utilize relationships to connect with construction professionals willing and able to help. A recent project in southwest Texas was completed with the help of the San Antonio Home Builders Association, which connected Operation Triage to gap funding and even a local veteran builder willing to take on the project. Through the connections in their NAHB network, Operation Triage was able to pay off a veteran’s home completely and retrofit the house to meet his changing accessibility needs.
Relationships in the industry were critical in getting this project, and many like it, completed. Matt expressed that his NAHB involvement was critical to providing a safe home to a hero, and that similar projects could be accomplished if more builders took advantage of the membership advantages NAHB provides.
I want to thank professionals like Jason, Matt, and Dan for the work they do on behalf of our nation’s veterans. And I extend that thanks to all active or former service members for their dedication to protecting the American Dream.
To learn more about Operation Triage and to hear stories from veterans in their own words, visit operationtriage.org. And to join the network of builders, remodelers, and other professionals working to make the American Dream of homeownership a reality, visit nahb.org/join.
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October is Careers in Construction Month, when NAHB members and state and local Home Builders Associations participate in a national campaign to raise public awareness about the great jobs available in residential construction and related trade professions. NAHB’s Careers in the Construction Trades page highlights the opportunities in six popular trades that are tailor-made to share with teachers, career counselors, students, and their parents.
Home Innovation Research Labs helps its clients in the residential construction industry improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and home building products. Founded in 1964, Home Innovation Research Labs is an independent subsidiary of the NAHB. It originated as a small product testing laboratory and has since grown to become a full-service market research, consulting, product testing, and accredited third-party certification agency dedicated solely to issues related to the home building industry. Home Innovation Research Labs is the certifying agency for the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard, the only residential green building rating system approved by ANSI as an American National Standard.
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