Meritage Homes Gives More Than $2.5 Million in 2022 To Build Stronger Communities Nationwide

Company charitable giving and volunteer programs focus on ongoing food insecurity in the U.S. and support education, sustainable forestry, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Homes, the seventh-largest homebuilder in the U.S., is further underscoring its commitment to creating a Life.Built.Better.® through its ongoing charitable giving efforts. In addition to donating three mortgage-free homes in 2022, the homebuilder contributed over $1.1M through its Meritage Cares foundation. This year’s efforts included food insecurity in the U.S., tree planting efforts and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. Meritage Homes also contributed approximately $1.4M to fund education opportunities.

“As our communities feel the impact of the changing macroeconomic and market conditions as well as natural disasters, we wanted to support national and regional programs that help create safe and thriving communities,” said Phillippe Lord, CEO of Meritage Homes. “This year, we have seen firsthand how the increasing cost of groceries and rising inflation have made it more difficult for U.S. households to put food on the table. I am immensely proud of our organization for coming together across every region to pack meals as well as donate time and money to help those affected by this nationwide issue.”

Meritage’s 2022 philanthropic efforts include:

• Combatting Hunger
  • Meritage Cares is donating over $160,000 to No Child Hungry to combat national food insecurity
  • As part of Meritage’s Q4 Outpour Event, employees are also donating their time to pack meal kits for those in need
• Hurricane Ian Relief
  • Meritage donated $100,000 to support Hurricane Ian relief efforts in Florida
• Community-Based Regional Support
  • Meritage provided monetary aid to regional non-profits including Homeaid, Boys & Girls Club, One80 Place, and Arizona Community Foundation
  • Meritage employees volunteered additional hours at local Feed My Starving Children and regional food banks, with Habitat for Humanity—including in West Orange where Meritage’s Southern California female employees participated in the annual Women Build event—and to beautify communities such as picking up trash through Greenville, South Carolina’s Litter Ends Here program
• Sustainable Forestry
  • The Company is furthering its commitment to sustainable forestry efforts through its ongoing partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation by donating another $300,000. This year, Meritage hosted more than 15 events across cities nationwide to plant trees and enhance the urban tree canopy. Meritage employees volunteered more than 1,500 hours cumulatively to support this program
• Supporting Veteran Military Families
  • Meritage Homes built and donated three new mortgage-free, energy-efficient homes to deserving veteran families in Houston, Nashville, and Tucson through its partnership with Operation Homefront’s Permanent Homes for Veterans program
• DE&I Initiatives & Empowerment of Underrepresented Groups
  • Meritage Cares is committing $200,000 to support ongoing DE&I and educational efforts focused on underrepresented groups. The donation is divided between INROADS, the National Association of Women in Construction, the Society of Women Engineers, and establishing scholarship funds at Historically Black Colleges & Universities as well as Hispanic Servicing Institutions
  • Meritage is extending its partnership with Building Talent Foundation (BTF) and through Meritage Cares, is contributing $100,000 to further BTF’s commitment to advancing the education, training and career progression of young professionals; especially those from underrepresented groups in the residential construction industry
    

For more information on Meritage Cares, please visit: https://www.meritagehomes.com/why-meritage/meritage-cares.

About Meritage Homes Corporation

Meritage Homes is the seventh-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2021. The Company offers a variety of entry-level and first move-up homes. Operations span across Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.

Meritage Homes has delivered over 160,000 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 a nine-time recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ("EPA") ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award since 2013 for innovation and industry leadership in energy efficient homebuilding, and the recipient of the EPA Indoor airPLUS Leader Award.

For more information, visit www.meritagehomes.com.

Emily Tadano, VP Investor Relations and ESG
(480) 515-8979
investors@meritagehomes.com

Released December 13, 2022