Tampa Veterans Get Storm Repairs for Veterans Day

Veteran households with Hurricane Helene and Milton damage are getting roofs, sheds, and apartment repairs this week.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Home Renovation

Photograph of a partially re-shingled residential roof under bright Florida sky, with a stack of shingle bundles on the lawn and a palm tree at the edge of frame. — Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Hillsborough is running a Veterans Day week of repairs for storm-damaged veteran households, including a planned roof replacement on November 11. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Hillsborough is running a week of home repairs for Tampa Bay veterans around Veterans Day, including apartment renovations at the James Cole Veterans Village and a planned roof replacement for an Army veteran's family on November 11.

Why it matters

Storm damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton left some veteran households unable to cover repairs, and several have lived with damage for years. The week-long Veterans Build Week of Service is Habitat's annual response, timed to Veterans Day, and it puts volunteer labor and donated materials toward homes that insurance and household budgets could not fix.

Volunteers completed apartment renovations at the James Cole Veterans Village in Tampa over a Friday and Saturday, and a garden shed rebuild for Air Force veteran Charles Williams and his wife, Gloria, is scheduled for November 10. A complete roof replacement for Army veteran Pedro Gratacos and his family is scheduled for November 11.

The players

Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Hillsborough

A local nonprofit that builds and repairs homes and runs the annual Veterans Build Week of Service in the Tampa Bay area.

Westfall Roofing

A roofing contractor partnering on the Gratacos family roof replacement.

Owens Corning

A building-materials manufacturer known for roofing shingles, supplying materials for the Gratacos roof project.

Suncoast Roofing Supply

A roofing supplier partnering on the Gratacos roof project.

The details

Volunteers from Johnson & Johnson worked the Friday session at James Cole Veterans Village, and Lowe's and engineering-consultant BGE teams completed the Saturday work, painting and repairing apartment units. For the Gratacos family, Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Hillsborough is partnering with Westfall Roofing, Owens Corning, and Suncoast Roofing Supply to replace the roof of a Tampa home damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The Williams couple's Brandon home had storm damage that their insurance did not cover, and Habitat's Red Cross Disaster Recovery and Resilience plan provided them with a new roof.

Friday, before November 8, 2026: Johnson & Johnson volunteers begin the two-day renovation at James Cole Veterans Village.
Saturday, before November 8, 2026: Lowe's and BGE teams continue the veterans village renovation.
November 10, 2026: Volunteers rebuild the garden shed for Charles and Gloria Williams.
November 11, 2026: Complete roof replacement for the Gratacos family on Veterans Day.

The Home Front

Florida's veteran housing figures show 235,799 veterans living in homes with major problems and 26.8 percent paying more than they should for housing. Habitat's Veterans Build Week targets the repair gap those figures describe, one household at a time.

If you own a home in the Tampa area that has storm damage, check whether your insurance policy covers the repairs and document the damage with photos before work begins. A roof replacement is a job for a licensed roofing contractor, so get written estimates and confirm licensing before signing anything.

The takeaway

Storm-damaged homes can go unrepaired for years when insurance falls short and household budgets are tight, and community repair weeks are one way those gaps get closed. If you know a veteran household with storm damage, a licensed contractor's estimate and a call to a local veterans or housing nonprofit is a reasonable first step.

What happens next

On November 10, volunteers are scheduled to rebuild the Williams couple's garden shed, and on November 11 the Gratacos family's roof replacement is planned for Veterans Day.