In the wake of two separate hurricanes leaving her homeless, Navy Veteran Margarita Belmarez exhibited an incredible resilience borne not only from her military training but her personal determination to reclaim her life. With assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), within a span of two years, she transitioned from residing in her car to owning her own home.
Joining the Navy in 1978 to escape a toxic home environment, Belmarez served for eight years as a mess management specialist. Her experiences during her service weren't devoid of challenges.
Stationed in New Orleans after training, the young recruit was sexually assaulted — an alarming yet sadly prevalent issue for women in the military. Further exacerbating her plight, she was advised to stay silent about the ordeal to safeguard her career, subsequently burying this trauma silently.
Returning to New Orleans post-service in 2002, she found herself battling forces of another kind when the city was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The trails of destruction left by the storm were deeply impactful, yet Belmarez decided to stay and rebuild her life. Unfortunately, with further hurricanes ravaging the Gulf Coast, she soon found herself homeless.
Choosing to migrate to her parents’ home in Texas, Belmarez was again dispossessed by another hurricane, Harvey, in 2017. "Whatever Katrina didn’t take from me, Harvey got the rest," she shared, reflecting upon this tumultuous period.
During her struggle, a fellow veteran advised her to seek assistance from the VA. She connected with a VA counselor who empathetically listened and understood her unique experiences. With their assistance, she was introduced to the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) voucher program.
In less than three months, Belmarez found herself in an apartment of her own. Following a 100% disability rating and exceeding the program’s income limits, her HUD-VASH social worker Eddie Sanford directed her towards the VA home loan program. This program ultimately helped her purchase her new house.
“It’s been an amazing turnaround in my life since VA has come in to assist me. I never knew about the help that was there, but it was,” she reflects on her journey.
Now secure and thriving in her new life, Belmarez is committed to supporting fellow veterans still battling homelessness, steering them towards the invaluable VA programs that aided her. She especially urges female veterans to seek assistance.
For veterans facing housing challenges, there are multiple support options available. HUD-VASH program, a collaborative project of HUD and VA combines HUD housing vouchers with VA supportive services to help veterans who are homeless and their families find and sustain permanent housing. More information is available at hud.gov. For home loan support, veterans can apply through the VA home loan program.
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