Meritage Homes and Operation Homefront Award Mortgage-Free Home to Colorado Army Specialist and Two-Time Purple Heart Recipient

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In observance of Veterans Day, Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH) and  Operation Homefront are joining forces to thank a local veteran for his service.  U.S. Army Specialist and two-time Purple Heart recipient Herbert Jackson was presented with the keys to a brand new, energy-efficient home.  He and his family will move into the 1,837-square-foot property in Commerce City, Colo and enter Operation Homefront’s Homes on the Homefront (HOTH) program.

During his seven years in the U.S. Army, SPC Jackson carried out multiple missions in Iraq and was honorably discharged in 2013 after suffering from a traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress and other injuries.  Thanks to Meritage and Operation Homefront, this home will be the perfect place for Herbert and his wife to embark on a new adventure and raise their three children.  The entire family looks forward to completing their education and establishing roots in their new community.

“This new home will actually make a huge difference,” said Herbert.  “It will definitely help us financially, and it will also allow us more room to focus on paying down debt, including earlier student loans.  We are so grateful for the opportunity to move toward a stronger, more stable, and secure future.”

The three-bedroom home, donated by Meritage Homes, comes complete with the M.Connected Home™ Automation Suite, a two-car garage, private study/flex room and a covered outdoor living area.  It also includes Meritage standard money-saving features, such as ENERGY STAR® appliances, spray-foam insulation and energy-efficient windows, which can cut heating and cooling costs by as much as 50 percent.

Upon successful completion of the HOTH program, the Jacksons will graduate and receive the deed to their home.  This is the twelfth new home Meritage Homes has built and donated to veterans through the Homes on the Homefront program.  Since 2012, over 600 homes have been awarded, more than 500 families have graduated from the program and have been deeded their home, mortgage-free.  The HOTH program has provided $75 million dollars in associated home equity to military families.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have been able to partner with Meritage to provide 12 mortgage-free homes to veteran families over the past six years,” said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray, Jr., president and CEO of Operation Homefront.  “Today, we thank Meritage for their unwavering commitment to supporting military families and helping us give Army veteran Herbert Jackson and his family, the opportunity to thrive, not simply struggle to get by, in the community they have worked so hard to protect.”

“It is with tremendous pride and respect that we welcome the Jackson family into their new home, and we extend our sincerest gratitude to all of our courageous armed forces both here and abroad,” said Steve Hilton, CEO of Meritage Homes. “We are humbled to be a part of this opportunity to help the Jackson family begin a new chapter in their lives and are honored to hand them the keys to their brand-new, mortgage-free home. We wish the Jackson family a home full of good health, stability and love.”

For more information about the Operation Homefront and Meritage Homes partnership, please visit http://www.HomesontheHomefront.org/Highlights or www.MeritageHomes.com.

About Meritage Homes:
Meritage Homes is the seventh-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2017. Meritage builds and sells single-family homes for entry-level, move-up, and active adult buyers in markets including California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.

The Company has designed and built over 110,000 homes in its 32-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and positive customer experience. Meritage is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award every year since 2013 for innovation and industry leadership in energy efficient homebuilding.

For more information, visit www.meritagehomes.com. 

About Operation Homefront:
Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive - not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families.

For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.

MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Jason E. Moody, Operation Homefront
Jason.Moody@OperationHomefront.org 
210.243.1657

Alexis Anderson, Havas Formula
meritage@havasformula.com 
619.234.0345

Released November 9, 2018