SNAP Covers Home Repairs for Disabled Dallas Homeowner

Hancock Whitney and FHLB Dallas Provide Assistance

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hosea Fain, a retired county election judge who is also retired from his work as a welder and machine operator, recently received a $4,916 Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) subsidy from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and Hancock Whitney to repair his long-time Dallas, Texas, home.

Mr. Fain became disabled in 2008 in a work-related accident when he fell from a truck onto concrete, injuring his back and neck.

“As a hard-working man, it put me out of work much earlier than I expected,” Mr. Fain, 60, said. He has been unable to work full time since the accident.

Through member institutions such as Hancock Whitney, SNAP provides subsidies for the repair and rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing of eligible, special-needs individuals. The maximum SNAP award per household is $6,000 unless the member or another lender contributes $350 toward the rehabilitation costs and/or inspection fees. Then the maximum award per household is $7,000.

Mr. Fain lives with his wife, Jacqueline, and raised four children in the home where they have lived for more than 30 years. The $4,916 SNAP subsidy paid for the replacement of a heavy wooden garage door with a lightweight aluminum door that is easier for Mr. Fain to open and close. It also provided for the replacement of deteriorating wood trim on the home’s exterior.

“When I was younger and working, I was able to do the things I needed to do to keep up the house,” he said. “It was a blessing for us to be able to receive this type of help because of our fixed income.”

Hancock Whitney Assistant Vice President and Community Development Officer LaCarsha Babers said SNAP is designed for people like Mr. Fain, who may have special needs, such as a disability.

“Home repairs can be expensive and when you add in a disability and a fixed income, they can quickly become overwhelming,” she said. “SNAP was the perfect solution for Mr. Fain and has done a lot of good in the communities we serve.”

FHLB Dallas set aside $2.5 million of its 2021 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) funds for SNAP, and all SNAP funds were allocated in January for the highly sought-after program. Last year, FHLB Dallas awarded $2.5 million in SNAP subsidies that assisted 421 families. Since the program’s 2009 inception, nearly $20.5 million in funding has been awarded across FHLB Dallas’ five-state District.

“Hancock Whitney has offered our housing assistance programs to the communities it serves for many years,” said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. “Its outreach has made a positive impact on many individuals like Mr. Fain.”

To learn more about SNAP, visit fhlb.com/snap.

About Hancock Whitney

Since the late 1800s, Hancock Whitney has embodied core values of Honor & Integrity, Strength & Stability, Commitment to Service, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility. Hancock Whitney offices and financial centers in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas offer comprehensive financial products and services, including traditional and online banking; commercial and small business banking; private banking; trust and investment services; healthcare banking; certain insurance services; and mortgage services. The company also operates a loan production office in Nashville, Tennessee. BauerFinancial, Inc., the nation’s leading independent bank rating and analysis firm, consistently recommends Hancock Whitney as one of America’s most financially sound banks. More information is available at www.hancockwhitney.com.

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 $58.6 billion as of June 30, 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.