In partnership with U.S. Bank, Freedom Alliance helps post 9/11 combat veterans achieve the American Dream of home ownership by providing mortgage-free homes. For those who have sacrificed so much, it's a place of hope and promise and an opportunity to begin anew.
The following is a series of Protocols
relating to the Heroes to Homeowners program:
Goal of Program
The Heroes to Homeowners program, run
by Freedom Alliance, is aimed at helping certain U.S. Combat Veterans (“Candidates”) to become homeowners and enjoy the benefits of home ownership.
Eligibility for Program
1. Candidates are U.S. military combat veterans who served in the Global War on Terror (post 9/11/2001).
2. Candidates must be honorably discharged from the military.
3. Candidates must have 80% or higher disability rating from the VA.
4. Candidates must complete the
application for consideration and provide all requested documentation.
5. Candidates must be willing to relocate to accept the available home selected.
6. Candidates may not currently own a home.
7. While not a requirement for application, preference will be given to applicants who have received individual valorous awards for their service, the Purple Heart Medal, and / or combat specific awards such as the Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Action Badge, and others.
Application for Consideration
Candidates must provide complete and
honest responses to requests found in the Application for Consideration.
Proper documentation provided in
support of the Application for Consideration includes those documents necessary
to confirm military service, medical history, injuries, and family status and
family history, including DD-214, disability rating from Veterans
Administration, or other documents requested.
Among other things, completion of the
Application for Consideration authorizes Heroes to Homeowners to complete a
credit history, criminal background check, social media checks, or other background checks.
Candidates will meet with member(s) of
the Heroes to Homeowners program committee to review the application and
documentation if requested. Candidates
will be interviewed by Freedom Alliance, or its authorized representative, for
consideration by the program.
Completion of the Application for
Consideration does not guarantee acceptance to the Heroes to Homeowners
program. Acceptance into the Heroes to
Homeowners program does not guarantee home ownership through the program. Acceptance merely means that the service
member has been pre-screened and approved to enter the Heroes to Homeowners
program and be considered to receive a home, should one become available and
other criteria be met.
Freedom Alliance is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and conduct that can be considered harassing, coercive, or disruptive, including sexual harassment.
Freedom Alliance
will work with banks, lending institutions, and other groups to find a home
suitable to the needs of the Candidate, but cannot guarantee that a suitable
match will be made or that the Candidate will otherwise be selected.
Two-Year Lease of Residence
If a Candidate is accepted into the
Heroes to Homeowners program, Freedom Alliance shall lease a property to the
Candidate for up to a two-year period.
The property must be the Candidate’s
primary residence. The Candidate shall
not assign, sub-lease, or permit others not approved by Freedom Alliance to
reside in the property.
During the lease period, the Candidate
shall pay rent of $1 per month (payable in one lump sum at the beginning of the
lease period).
Candidate’s lease of the property is
premised on evaluating the Candidate for potential home ownership. Thus, Candidate shall be responsible for all
maintenance and repair of property, in addition to all fees, insurance, costs,
taxes, and utilities related to property.
Candidate shall be responsible for obtaining and paying for renter’s
insurance. Freedom Alliance shall be
responsible for obtaining and paying for property or other insurance.
Prior to accepting lease of property,
Candidate shall be entitled to a walk-through, inspection, or certification of
property condition.
Representative of the Heroes to Homeowners
program shall be entitled to perform inspections of the property. Refusal to allow inspection of the property
and/or the results of inspection will be a factor for considering whether to
award full deed of the property to the Candidate.
During the lease period, the Candidate
shall participate in a counseling program (whether of a family, financial, or
other nature) if deemed necessary by Freedom Alliance.
The Candidate shall not commit any act
that indicates dishonesty or moral turpitude or that otherwise could materially
injure the reputation of Freedom Alliance or the Heroes to Homeowners program.
Evaluation Following the Lease Period
When all terms and conditions are
successfully met during the two-year lease term, Freedom Alliance will consider
whether to award the full deed of the property to the Candidate. At that time, the Candidate is eligible to be
submitted for consideration for full ownership of the property.
Factors for consideration include, but
are not limited to, the following:
§
Candidate’s compliance with
terms of the lease agreement
§
Candidate’s criminal or arrest record (both pre- and post-occupancy)
§
Candidate’s ability to remain drug-free (both pre- and post-occupancy)
§
Candidate’s refrain from overuse of alcohol
§
Candidate’s financial stability
§
Candidate’s ability to maintain property
§
Candidate’s ability to serve as an ambassador for or representative of
the Heroes to Homeowners program
If the obligations, terms, and
conditions of the two-year Lease Period are not met, Freedom Alliance may
extend the term of the lease with mutually agreed terms and conditions or may
terminate the lease and require occupant to vacate the home within 30 days.
Terms of Transfer of Deed
If selected to receive the full deed
of the property, Candidate shall accept all legal and financial obligations
associated with the property. Candidate
shall continue to occupy the property as her or his primary residence.
If selected to receive the full deed
of the property, Candidate shall then maintain the property as a primary
residence for no less than three years from the date of the deed. Should Candidate violate this covenant, the
property shall revert to Freedom Alliance.
At the end of the three-year term
after the award of the deed, if obligations, terms, and conditions are met, the
covenant shall expire and Candidate shall own the property free of all
obligations to or interest by Freedom Alliance.