Five Questions

At the peak of the real estate boom, sky-high housing prices put the spotlight on workers who couldn’t afford to live in Southwest Florida, including teachers, firefighters, nurses and other public servants. Lane Houk, 35, a former Army Medical Corps field medic and minister who most recently had been working in residential lending, spotted not only a need, but a business opportunity.

He built a network of real estate, lending, credit counseling, and other housing and financial businesses to deliver services to those public servants—while at the same time creating a tool for businesses to reach that market segment. In March 2007, Houk launched HeroCare in Lee County, and the organization is growing nationwide, with programs in at least four states. He anticipates about 75 chapters by the end of 2008.

1. What is HeroCare?
HeroCare is a nonprofit organization [501(c)(3) status pending] that serves the people who serve us in our communities. Our goal is to help them achieve their dreams of homeownership and financial security by putting together comprehensive resources and solutions from the business community, and providing them easy access to those resources at a discount.

2. Why do public servants need these kinds of services more than other employees?
It’s not that anyone else is less important; it’s just that these people perform a very essential service, and they’re underpaid and underserved and underappreciated.

3. Can you give me an example of a client?
We had two teachers in Lee County schools [who] had never owned their own home. They were really intimidated by the whole process, and didn’t know if they would ever be able to buy a home on their salaries. We explained the whole process to them, then connected them with one of our affiliate lenders, who did get them preapproved for 100 percent financing. We were able to get them some discounts, which enabled them to pay for all their closing costs. With a $500 check from their own checking account, they were able to buy their first home and move in.

4. So for affiliates, you have a targeted market and a direct route for reaching that market.
That’s exactly it. We are building strategic alliances with the hospital systems, the county governments, city governments, the school districts, and providing our entire program as a benefit to their employees. They pay us a $150 per month fee to be part of our network, which is where our funding comes from. We want to be a sustainable nonprofit that is not dependent upon philanthropy.

5. How do people respond when you talk about your clients as heroes?
Mostly all good. I have had some people say, "Why are they heroes if they’re just doing their job, too?" I’m not saying the bus driver who takes our kids home from school safely every day is the same level of hero as the Marine who loses his arm in a battle in Iraq. We’re here to say, "Thank you for what you’re doing for our community."