Florida CRA Programs: Community Development for the Military

LMI Support for Service Members, Veterans, and Spouses Through Financial Education

GoVA Foundation provides CRA-qualified military financial education programs across Florida’s extensive network of military bases and Veteran communities. Through our initiatives, banks can connect with service members, Veterans, and military families seeking banking services and financial education resources. 

Florida Military Bases & CRA Assessment Areas

Florida hosts a diverse military footprint with installations supporting all branches of service. The state’s total active duty military population stands at 84,689 service members, with significant concentrations in Pensacola and Tampa, where installations like Naval Air Station Pensacola and MacDill Air Force Base serve as major hubs. In Okaloosa County, Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field combine to support over 27,000 active duty personnel. 

Major installations and their active duty populations include: 

  • Eglin Air Force Base (Okaloosa County) – 19,000 active duty 
  • Naval Air Station Pensacola (Escambia County) – 16,000 active duty 
  • MacDill Air Force Base (Tampa) – 12,000 active duty 
  • Hurlburt Field (Okaloosa County) – 8,261 active duty 
  • Naval Station Mayport (Mayport) – 8,076 active duty 
  • Naval Air Station Jacksonville (Jacksonville) – 4,553 active duty 
  • Naval Support Activity Panama City (Panama City) – 4,000 active duty 
  • Patrick Space Force Base (Brevard County) – 3,599 active duty 
  • Tyndall Air Force Base (Bay County) – 2,902 active duty 
  • USSOUTHCOM/U.S. Army Garrison-Miami (Doral) – 2,100 active duty 
  • Naval Air Station Whiting Field (Milton) – 1,998 active duty 
  • Naval Air Station Key West (Key West) – 1,650 active duty 
  • US Coast Guard – Miami (Miami) – 550 active duty 

Approximately 40% of active duty military households qualify as low-to-moderate income (LMI), representing 33,923 service members across Florida installations. Additionally, the state hosts an estimated 42,404 military spouses, calculated as 50% of the active duty population, many of whom face employment challenges that impact household income. 

Military Community Development Impact

The Edge platform, GoVA Foundation’s digital military financial education hub, delivers customized financial resources to service members, veterans, and military families across Virginia. Developed through military banking partnerships and funded by CRA-qualified community development grants, The Edge provides free financial education specifically designed for military life challenges. 

The combined military community in Florida represents a significant demographic presence: 

  • 84,689 active duty service members 
  • 42,404 military spouses 
  • 1,432,721 Veterans 

This total military-connected population of 1,559,814 Floridians represents a substantial opportunity for banks to expand their services while meeting CRA obligations. The concentration of these communities near military installations creates natural assessment areas where banks can make meaningful impact through targeted financial education and services. 

LMI Military Programs: Supporting Florida Veterans

Within Florida’s Veteran population of over 1.4 million, approximately 286,544 Veterans qualify as LMI households. The highest concentrations of Veterans are found in: 

  1. Hillsborough County – 95,861 Veterans 
  2. Duval County – 88,313 Veterans 
  3. Broward County – 77,355 Veterans 
  4. Pinellas County – 76,182 Veterans 
  5. Palm Beach County – 75,220 Veterans 

These population centers create distinct opportunities for bank partnerships in these assessment areas through CRA-qualified programs and community development grants. 

GoVA Foundation currently has verified-LMI members ready to sponsor in these counties. Complete the form at the bottom of the page for more details.

Military CRA Compliance & Banking Partnerships

GoVA Foundation’s military financial education programs meet FDIC and OCC requirements for CRA compliance while serving Florida’s military community. Our military banking initiatives satisfy key CRA requirements through: 

  1. Geographic Assessment Area Qualification:  
  • Verified LMI census tracts
  • Documented military banking service areas 
  • Military assessment area mapping

2. Military Community Development Activities:  

  • Military-specific financial education programs 
  • Veteran transition banking services 
  • Military entrepreneur development 
  • VA home loan education 

Military Financial Education Results: The Edge Platform

The Edge platform currently serves over 350 active members across Florida, with 15% verified as LMI households. Our highest membership concentrations align with major military populations in these counties:

  • Duval
  • Hillsborough
  • Pinellas
  • Orange
  • Brevard 

Members receive targeted financial education addressing: 

  • Transition planning for separating service members 
  • Spouse employment and family budgeting 
  • VA home loan education and housing decisions 
  • Small business development for Veterans 
  • Credit building and debt management 
  • Emergency savings strategies for military families 
  • PCS (Permanent Change of Station) Move financial preparation 

Florida CRA-Qualified Military Programs

Banks operating in Florida can leverage our established military banking programs to meet CRA goals while making meaningful impact in military communities. We provide complete documentation for CRA reporting, including: 

  • Verified LMI status of program participants 
  • Census tract confirmation 
  • LMI community impact metrics and outcomes 
  • Assessment area alignment 
  • Quarterly progress reports 
  • Annual LMI impact assessments 

Discover immediate opportunities to support LMI military households in your assessment area through our CRA-qualified programs. Our custom reports provide detailed analysis of military demographics, LMI verification, and potential Community Development impact through financial education programs. 

Explore CRA Opportunities

Discover the impact potential for your bank’s Community Development initiatives. Our customized report reveals:

  • Number of military households in your assessment area
  • Financial education needs assessment
  • Specific opportunities for LMI community investment

Simply share your assessment area, and we’ll prepare a custom report showing how your bank can support military financial wellness while meeting CRA objectives.

About Our Partnership with TowneBank Mortgage

At GoVA, we’re proud to partner with a lender that delivers peace of mind to those who have served and continue to serve our county. Together, GoVA and TowneBank Mortgage are committed to helping our military service members achieve their dreams of homeownership, as well as providing them with valuable resources along the way. As experienced lenders, TowneBank Mortgage understands the need for a quick and easy mortgage process, especially during life’s transitional moments. Headquartered in Norfolk, just miles from the world’s largest naval base, TowneBank Mortgage has had the honor of helping thousands of military families through their VA loan offerings. Their team is knowledgeable about VA products and the local market, and in-house operations allow them to respond to questions and concerns in a timely manner. Together, we can get you to closing in 30 days or less. Trust TowneBank Mortgage and GoVA loans to get you home.

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