Housing Program Helps Marine Veteran Realize His Dream
Standing with his wife and two sons in the lawn of his newly purchased home in San Antonio, Texas, Marine veteran Rudy De Leon Jr. had realized a dream he was not sure would be possible. He was a homeowner.
He could not have done it, he said, without the help of Operation Homefront’s Transitional Homes for Veterans (THV) program.
“The program was excellent,” Rudy said, “And absolutely successful in aiding us in getting to where we needed to be financially.”
Through the THV program, veterans who are within three years of discharge can live rent-free in a house for two to three years as they build savings, reduce debt, and become established in careers and the community.
Rudy moved into the THV home in May 2022, about eight months after he honorably discharged from the Marines.
He looked into help for veterans because in the year he began the separation process and wanted to purchase a home for his family in the San Antonio area, housing prices increased 20.5 percent.
The rising costs made affording a home more and more out of reach for Rudy and his young, growing family. Both Rudy and his wife, Amanda, were born and raised in San Antonio and were looking forward to raising their children there. At the time they moved into the THV home, they had toddler, Elijah, and were expecting Ezekiel. Elijah is now 5, and Ezekiel is 2.
During their time in the program, Rudy and Amanda improved their credit scores, paid down debt, and built savings. They graduated from the program in May 2024. Rudy is working with Progressive Insurance handling and overseeing body shop repairs. Amanda is school nurse for an area school district.
“My family and I are just so grateful and feel that Transitional Homes for Veterans has the opportunity to impact multiple families in a positive way, really preparing them for homeownership.” – Rudy De Leon Jr., Marine Corps veteran
Rudy appreciates donors who support veterans and their families, especially having grown up in a military family himself. His father was a Marine, and his service inspired both Rudy and his younger brother to enlist.
Rudy, who enlisted in 2017, was based in North Carolina and planned to stay in the Marines longer than he did. However, in 2021, he was was stationed in Japan when Amanda gave birth to Elijah. Rudy could not get leave, so he had to support Amanda and welcome their baby via FaceTime.
While Amanda was expecting their second son, Rudy decided to be home for his family.
Baby Ezekiel was born in spring 2022 and was a newborn when the family moved into their THV home.
“This was such a beneficial program for us, jumpstarting our future by at least four to five years in helping us save what we needed and allowing us the opportunity to pay off our debts,” he said. “The financial counseling was so valuable in that we were able to really dive into our finances and our monthly budget, really setting us up for now and what we would be able to comfortably afford in a home mortgage without living paycheck to paycheck. That was a huge win.”
Being in the program allowed time for the family to figure out how much space they need, how to manage a home, and all the small details that can build a strong foundation for successful homeowners.
“We had an opportunity to maintain the home and that made the transition to maintaining our new home much simpler since we know what to look out for to avoid and prevent future issues,” he said.
Rudy hopes donors know how much the program impacts veterans and their families.
“My family and I are just so grateful for the opportunity and feel that Transitional Homes for Veterans has the opportunity to impact multiple families in a positive way, really preparing them for homeownership. All it took was a hopeful application two years ago and now we are credit card debt free homeowners!”
