Homeowners Need More Than a Mortgage — They Need the Tools to Stay: A Veteran Perspective on Resilience and Renewal

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Homeowners are facing a crisis, and veterans hear a familiar drumbeat: readiness, resilience, and resourcefulness. The storm clouds gathering over the Southeast aren’t just weather events; they’re tests of a community’s capacity to protect what matters most. For veterans-turned-entrepreneurs and veterans who own homes, the stakes are personal and systemic alike.

A crisis in property insurance and affordability collides with the relentless cost of protecting a home. With hurricane season approaching, anxiety isn’t just a homeowner’s worry—it’s a veteran’s calculus of risk, duty, and staying connected to a civilian life that supports families and small businesses.

We have seen this before. Hurricanes Helene and Milton left behind a trail of damage and displacement, and the lessons endure: rebuilding isn’t merely physical; it’s strategic. Veterans, who have learned to pivot under pressure, are particularly attuned to the need for practical protections and predictable costs. They understand that a safe roof, reinforced with purpose-built upgrades, is not a luxury but a pillar of stability for a household, a storefront, and a future family business.

At the same time, many are navigating rising costs. For veterans-entrepreneurs, the challenge isn’t only buying a home; it’s maintaining an enterprise and a life that depend on steady housing and predictable insurance premiums. The question becomes: how can we ensure sustainable, long-term protection without sacrificing cash flow for growth and reinvestment?

Expanding credit access for home protection

The idea that financing can be more affordable is compelling to veterans who manage tight budgets while funding businesses that employ fellow service members and veterans. An executive order on promoting access to mortgage credit is a step in the right direction, and so is recognizing that when financing costs drop, families—veterans included—have a greater chance of staying afloat and investing in resilience.

But access to credit should not stop at the front door. For veteran homeowners and veteran-owned businesses, practical, affordable mechanisms to invest in home safety and resilience are essential—especially in Florida, where preparedness isn’t optional.

We know what works. Stronger roofs, impact-resistant windows and doors, and energy-efficient upgrades can be the difference between a home and a fortress that withstands a storm. They can also lower utility bills and reduce pressure on property insurance premiums, freeing resources for veteran-led small businesses that rely on predictable operating costs.

The challenge remains cost. The cost of reliability, the cost of protection, the cost of continuity for veteran families who juggle service, civilian careers, and homeownership.

How R-PACE financing makes a difference

R-PACE offers a pathway for those who cannot access upgrades through traditional financing. For veterans, this program translates to a practical, long-term tool that leverages home equity to fund essential improvements with fixed-rate payments—crucial for budgeting around a veteran’s income pattern, which may include irregular civilian income or entrepreneurial revenue cycles.

In Florida alone, R-PACE has supported more than 155,000 home improvement projects, totaling over $3.9 billion in investment. It’s a major economic driver and a partner in strengthening communities—communities that include veteran households and veteran-owned small businesses that depend on stable housing to protect families and operate ventures.

R-PACE delivers tangible results. A study from the University of South Florida shows projections of reduced disaster displacement costs and disaster losses, translating into significant savings on insurance premiums. For veteran homeowners, these savings aren’t abstract; they free up funds to grow small businesses, pursue education or training, and invest in the local economy that relies on veteran leadership.

R-PACE works because it meets people where they are. It allows homeowners to use their home equity to finance critical upgrades with long-term, fixed-rate payments. Qualification is based on home equity and ability to repay, not just credit scores. This approach broadens access for veteran families and Hispanic veterans and veterans-owned small businesses that often face barriers in traditional lending markets.

Florida has taken steps to ensure program safety and transparency, offering a model that veterans across states can look to when assessing resilience options for their own communities.

Balancing consumer protection with federal regulation

In 2024, Florida modernized R-PACE with safeguards: clear ability-to-repay standards, income-based qualifications, stronger disclosures, and contractor oversight. It also expanded the program to include septic-to-sewer conversions and flood mitigation projects—projects that benefit veteran households facing the realities of climate risk and aging infrastructure.

Yet federal regulations that recently took effect threaten to reduce access by adding red tape and delays. For veteran homeowners and veteran entrepreneurs who already operate under tight margins, delays in protection translate to risk in priorities, staffing, and daily operations.

We must resist piling new barriers on proven tools that defend homes and livelihoods. The goal is not bureaucracy for its own sake but clarity, accountability, and timely access to resilience investments that veterans deserve.

An opportunity to revisit federal frameworks

President Trump’s Executive Order on mortgage credit presents an opportunity for regulators to revisit federal frameworks for low-risk transactions, including R-PACE. Regulators should tailor rules to the unique structure of low-risk financing, preserving access to a proven tool that helps homeowners invest in resilience, reduce costs, and stay in their homes—and in their communities, where veteran families lead by example.

Expanding access to mortgage credit is important. Ensuring homeowners—especially veterans and veteran-owned enterprises—can protect and keep their homes is just as critical.

Julio Fuentes is the President and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners. To contact the editor responsible for this piece: zeb@hwmedia.com.



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