Funds Help Navy Veteran Replace Roof to Comply with Florida Law
Anthony Davila saw Top Gun in the 1980s and wanted to be a fighter pilot. He joined the Navy in 1988, not quite realizing what it would take to reach his dreams. He left in 1991. He went to college and worked in law enforcement in New York and Connecticut. Everything changed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “I took it to heart,” he said. “I lost a relative in the towers.” He re-enlisted in the Navy, joining the Navy Reserves in 2002. His unit was activated in 2003 and 2005, and he did security in Italy and deployed to Kuwait.
During a deployment, Anthony was seriously injured in 2006. He was flown to Germany where he learned he had a broken neck. Anthony credits his “great support system’ he has in his wife, family, friends and two sons, for helping him through the years following his injury. He got his associate degree while in the hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, and after receiving his bachelor’s he got his master’s degree while still recovering. He and his wife and one of his sons live in Orlando, Florida. He now teaches online courses in homeland security and investigations.
A new Florida home insurance law that went into effect in 2023 caused stress for Anthony and his family. Because of the law, insurance companies are requiring homeowners to replace roofs older than 10 years. “I got a letter from the home insurance company stating that they will drop my homeowner coverage in June,” Anthony said. No other insurance companies would provide coverage unless he replaced it. Without insurance attached to the mortgage, the bank could foreclose. The lowest quote he received for replacing the roof was $16,000.
“(Operation Homefront) provided me with a plan when, at the time, one did not exist.” – Anthony Davila, Navy veteran
Anthony worried he would lose his home. His wife recalled a list of agencies that help veterans that he had been given years earlier. They began researching the list and found Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance (CFA) program.
Thanks to the generosity of Operation Homefront donors, Anthony was able to pay the $13,500 cost for the needed roof replacement. He was relieved that to be able to keep his insurance and no longer worry about losing his house. “Are there words that can be said?” Anthony said. “It impacted me in such a way it allows me to maintain a roof over my family’s head. It provided me with a plan that at the time one did not exist.”
