Operation Homefront Selects Deserving Military Family for Mortgage-Free Meritage Home
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH) and Operation Homefront today announced that a military family has been selected for the Permanent Homes for Veterans program and will receive a brand new, energy-efficient and mortgage-free Meritage home in a Tampa, FL suburb. This home will be presented to the family in November in celebration of Veterans Day.
Navy Petty Officer First Class Garfield Johnson, his wife, Tia, and their two young children will receive an 1,840 square-foot, four-bedroom, single-story home from Meritage Homes. Located in the new Bristol Meadows community in Zephyrhills, FL, this new home will give the family a chance to experience the pride of home ownership and to establish a sense of stability and community closer to extended family.
Johnson joined the Navy in 2010 and served 11 years as an aircraft structural mechanic. After suffering a near-fatal accident on the flight deck, Johnson was prompted to commence medical retirement.
“This new home makes a huge difference for my family and brings us hope and stability as I transition out of military service,” Johnson said. “Words cannot express how thankful we are to Operation Homefront, to Meritage Homes and to all the people out there who have the heart and the will to help veterans. We are so very grateful for the opportunity to create a stronger, more stable future.”
The Johnson family currently resides in San Diego, CA, at Operation Homefront’s Transitional Housing Village which has aided the family in their return to civilian life. Moving closer to extended family in Florida will provide the Johnsons additional support as they raise their young children.
The single-story home is a modern open floorplan with high end features such as a spacious kitchen island and quartz countertops. Meritage’s M.Connected Home™ Automation Suite is also included, and provides a smart door lock, an advanced thermostat and a smart garage door. The energy-efficient and healthy homes features— ENERGY STAR® appliances, spray-foam insulation, a multi-speed HVAC unit, MERV-13 air filtration and energy-efficient windows—will help lower the monthly utility bills while maintaining healthy indoor air quality.
“At Meritage Homes, we are extremely appreciative of the brave men and women serving in the Armed Forces. We are beyond proud to continue our work with Operation Homefront and to support their goal of building strong, stable, and secure military families,” shares Phillippe Lord, CEO of Meritage Homes. “Looking back on the previous seven years of our participation in the Permanent Homes for Veterans program, we are thankful to the numerous vendors that have donated time and materials to make this possible. We are honored to be able to present the Johnson family with a new energy-efficient home in the coming months and bring them closer to their family in Florida.”
Since its inception in 2012, the Permanent Homes for Veterans program has placed more than 700 military families in mortgage-free homes and deeded over $90 million in home equity. The homes are donated by corporate partners, including Meritage Homes and other major financial services companies and home builders. This program provides veterans and their families the opportunity to move into an Operation Homefront home and work directly with housing caseworkers and financial counselors to learn and prepare for homeownership. Once completing the program successfully, the family will receive the deed to the home. This is the fifteenth new home Meritage Homes has constructed and donated to military families.
“We are extremely proud to be able, thanks to our amazing Meritage Homes partners, to help the Johnson family start strong and stay strong in the Zephyrhills community,” said Brig Gen (ret) John I. Pray Jr, president and CEO of Operation Homefront. “Because of their very generous home donation, this very deserving military family will have the opportunity to thrive— not simply struggle to get by—in a place they have worked so hard to protect.”
For more information about the Operation Homefront and Meritage Homes partnership, please visit https://www.meritagehomes.com/operation-homefront
About Meritage Homes Corporation
Meritage Homes is the sixth-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2020. The Company offers a variety of homes that are designed with a focus on entry-level and first move-up buyers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Meritage Homes has delivered over 145,000 homes in its 36-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and award-winning customer experience. The Company is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and an eight-time recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award 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, 90 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.
About Start Strong, Stay Strong
Operation Homefront launched ‘Start Strong, Stay Strong,’ a national brand campaign in March 2021. The initiative brings much-needed attention to the dedicated service of our military families and the support that Americans can provide to build the stability, connections and comfort these families deserve to start strong in their communities and stay strong throughout their journeys. #StartStrongStayStrong.
Find out more at operationhomefront.org/startstrongstaystrong.
Contact
Emily Tadano, VP Investor Relations
(480) 515-8979
media@meritagehomes.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a29bab45-56f6-4164-85a7-735eb46e83d9
Recipient family of the mortgage-free Meritage home
Johnson family. Credit: Remi + Tori Photography for Meritage Homes
Released September 14, 2021