Program Assists Disabled Military Veterans and Gold Star Families with Housing Needs
After years of housing challenges, Army veteran Raymond Rodriguez and his wife, Feliciana, were finally able to make critical repairs to their home. Mr. Rodriguez recently received a $17,400 Housing Assistance for Veterans (HAVEN) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) provided through FHLB Dallas member Veritex Community Bank to make several critical repairs to the couple’s home.
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Veteran Raymond Rodriguez, seen here with his wife, Feliciana, received a $17,400 FHLB Dallas HAVEN grant through Veritex Community Bank to make several critical repairs to his Dallas, Texas, home.
HAVEN provides grants for home modifications, housing construction and homebuyer down payment assistance to help veterans, reservists and service members who have a service-related disability. It can also be used by Gold Star Families. The grants are provided through FHLB Dallas member financial institutions participating in the program.
“Veritex Community Bank is proud to support programs that make a real difference in people’s lives, especially for those who have served our country,” said Melanie Goodman, Veritex Community Bank senior vice president and CRA officer. “This grant helped create a sense of comfort and reassurance that will carry forward long after the repairs are done.”
Mr. Rodriguez, 53, served as an Army infantryman in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was awarded the Purple Heart. During his time in the military, Mr. Rodriguez sustained serious injuries that have resulted in ongoing mobility challenges. The grant funded significant improvements to Mr. Rodriguez’s home, including the addition of an accessible bathroom designed to accommodate his mobility needs, the replacement of the roof fascia and soffits and several other essential home repairs.
FHLB Dallas allocated $1 million for HAVEN grants in 2025, up from $300,000 in 2024. This year, it also increased the maximum grant from $20,000 to $25,000 and opened the program, originally created for veterans who entered the service after 9/11, to all veterans.
“Having these repairs done brings clarity to the home,” Mrs. Rodriguez said. “To see something function and to have it nice, it brings peace. Who wants to come home to a house that is falling apart? For Raymond, it’s been a burden lifted.”
Mr. Rodriguez and his wife have eight children, who range in age from 4 to 27. Five children currently live in the house with them. Two of his sons have followed in his footsteps by joining the military.
Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas, said FHLB Dallas values opportunities to help veterans improve their lives and homes.
“We’re committed to showing up for those who’ve served our country and helping Mr. Rodriguez make important improvements to his home means a great deal to us,” Mr. Hettrick said. “We’re honored to be a small part of his story.”
Learn more about the HAVEN program.
About Veritex Bank
Veritex Community Bank is a mid-sized community bank serving its customers with a full suite of banking products and services. The bank has convenient branch locations in Houston, Fort Worth, and Dallas, Texas, with total assets of more than $12 billion. The bank, headquartered in Dallas, specializes in providing depository and credit services to small to mid-size businesses, which have been largely neglected by national banks. The name “Veritex” is derived from the Latin word “veritas,” meaning truth and “Texas.”
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $109.9 billion as of March 31, 2025, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.
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“To see something function and to have it nice, it brings peace. Who wants to come home to a house that is falling apart? For Raymond, it’s been a burden lifted.” Feliciana Rodriguez
Contacts
Corporate Communications
Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
fhlb.com, (214) 441-8445