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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 1.4 million veterans currently living in Texas. With Veterans Day coming up on November 11th, we wanted to take a moment to honor these heroes across our state and country.
We recognize the bravery of the Texas men and women that have dedicated themselves to defending our country. That’s why we do our best to spotlight programs and services that help current and former members of our armed forces live comfortably in the communities they worked to protect.
HELPING TEXAS VETERANS ACHIEVE HOMEOWNERSHIP
If there’s one thing that excites us, it’s our ability to help veterans on their path to buying a home. TSAHC’s Home for Texas Heroes program is a home buyer assistance program designed to help veterans get into the home of their dreams.
In fact, veterans who pair TSAHC’s down payment assistance (DPA) with a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) are eligible to receive their MCC for free (a $500 savings)! An MCC reduces the federal income tax liability every year, allowing home buyers that claim it to save thousands over the life of a loan.
TSAHC’S COMMITMENT TO VETERANS
Though no longer available, our former Affordable Communities of Texas – Veterans Initiative (ACT-VET) program provided discounted homes to veterans with disabilities and/or low-to-moderate income. Moreover, we were able to donate ten homes mortgage-free to veterans thanks to a partnership with Bank of America.
For instance, Staff Sergeant Moises Solorio, a disabled Iraq War veteran from Hutchins, TX, received a home donation in 2013. To read more about Mr. Solorio and all of our ACT-VET success stories, click here.
In addition to our ACT-VET program, we’re helping communities empower individuals experiencing homelessness. Research shows that due to poverty and lack of support and social isolation after discharge, veterans are 50% more likely to become homeless than civilians.
We recently partnered with the Center for Supportive Housing (CSH) to launch the Texas Supportive Housing Institute, meant to help affordable housing developers build Permanent Supportive Housing designed for people experiencing homelessness.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Below are several additional resources that can help Texas veterans buy a home, find employment, access legal resources, and obtain several other important services.
Homeownership Programs
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: provides a home loan guaranty benefit to help veterans buy, build, repair, retain, or adapt a home to suit their occupancy needs. Although VA loans require zero down payment, they can also be paired with other programs such as TSAHC’s Homes for Texas Heroes program.
- Texas Veteran’s Land Board: provides low-interest land, home, and home improvement loans that require little or no down payment. The home loan program also offers an interest rate reduction to qualifying veterans with a disability.
- Pen-Fed Foundation: periodically offers grants for down payments to veterans who are first-time homebuyers.
Employment Resources
- Texas Workforce Commission: connects returning veterans with employment and training resources, as well as medical, benefits, and educational assistance.
- HireHeroesUSA: provides personalized employment training and corporate engagement to create job opportunities for veterans and their spouses.
- Brenham Community Center also pointed us to this collection of business ideas for veterans, put together by Commercial Capital Training Group.
- This veteran’s guide to starting a small business and article on how to fund a business were also helpfully provided by Cadet Ryan Cirbo.
Legal Resources
- State Bar of Texas: supports pro bono legal clinics throughout Texas for military veterans who cannot afford to access the legal services they need.
- Texas Legal Services Center: provides free legal assistance via telephone to Texas veterans, with an emphasis on serving disabled veterans in rural areas of the state.
General Resources
On the House blog posts are meant to provide general information on various housing-related issues, research and programs. We are not liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided by blog sources. Furthermore, this blog is not legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.
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