HAVEN Grant Helps Mississippi Veteran Repair Home

BankPlus and FHLB Dallas Fund Renovation

U.S. Army veteran Thomas McLeod recently received a $10,000 Housing Assistance for Veterans (HAVEN) grant to make repairs on his home in Petal, Mississippi, a suburb of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

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Army veteran Thomas McLeod received repairs to his home through a $10,000 HAVEN grant provided by BankPlus and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. (Photo: Business Wire)

The HAVEN grant was provided by BankPlus and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas). Wounded Warriors of Mississippi, a nonprofit group that assists veterans who have service-related injuries, connected Sergeant McLeod with the grant.

“I had a friend who had received the HAVEN grant, and I reached out to Cheryl Bruce at Wounded Warriors of Mississippi to see if I qualified,” said Sergeant McLeod. “I found out I did. I’m really appreciative of everything Wounded Warriors did for me in helping me through this process.”

The funding covered the replacement and painting of the home’s trim and replacement of the underlying fascia. It also funded the installment of vinyl plank flooring in the home he shares with his wife and 16-year-old son.

Sergeant McLeod, 43, was 22 when he entered the Army in 2000. His four years of service included tours in Afghanistan and Iraq with roles that included forward observer, fire support specialist and fire clearance.

HAVEN assists post-9/11 U.S. veterans, active-duty military, reserves and National Guard service members who became disabled as a result of their post-9/11 service. It was recently expanded to assist Gold Star Families – those who have lost loved ones to military service since 9/11. Households with an income of 165 percent or less of the area median income may qualify. To learn more about HAVEN, visit fhlb.com/haven.

The grant can be used for home repairs and modifications or to offset the construction cost of a new home. HAVEN grants are awarded through member institutions of FHLB Dallas. For 2021, FHLB Dallas has made $300,000 in HAVEN funds available.

“We’ve been involved with HAVEN for several years now and we continue to be humbled by what our service members and their families endure to protect our freedoms,” said BankPlus First Vice President and Director of Affordable Housing Mark Ouellette. “We are honored to assist Sergeant McLeod.”

Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas, said the grants have a wide impact.

“When one of our members funds repairs for a service member or their family, it impacts not only the family, but everyone involved in the process. Providing these repairs is one way to say thank you to our service members and their families.”

About BankPlus

Founded in 1909, BankPlus is one of the Southeast's premier regional banks serving consumers and businesses with the latest technology through a full suite of financial services, including retail banking, commercial banking, mortgage lending and wealth management. With approximately $5 billion in total assets, BankPlus operates 79 financial centers throughout Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. For more information about BankPlus, visit bankplus.net.

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 $61.1 billion as of March 31, 2021, 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 our website at fhlb.com.

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We joined BankPlus in awarding a HAVEN grant to a military veteran. Wounded Warriors of Mississippi assisted Sergeant McLeod with the application.