PHOENIX, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH), a leading U.S. homebuilder with a significant presence in Houston, today announced that its foundation will donate $250,000 to aid disaster recovery efforts in Texas. The donation, comprised of $125,000 to the American Red Cross and $125,000 to the Rebuild Texas Fund, will help victims of Hurricane Harvey.

"Our hearts go out to the families in Texas and along the Gulf Coast that are dealing with such unimaginable loss," said Steve Hilton, chairman and CEO of Meritage Homes. "The devastating flooding from Hurricane Harvey is unprecedented in the area, and we commend the American Red Cross and Rebuild Texas Fund for their leadership toward the restoration of these communities. With these donations, Meritage Homes is helping people rebuild their lives.”

The donations will be the homebuilder’s largest philanthropic response to a natural disaster since Meritage Homes formed in 1985. The funds for the American Red Cross and the Rebuild Texas Fund will come from the Meritage Cares Foundation, which manages the company’s charitable efforts year-round. Meritage Homes is also committed to supporting its employees who have been displaced by floodwaters.

“While we were fortunate that our new communities were only minimally damaged by floodwaters, a number of our employees in Houston were displaced from their homes and face many challenges to overcome,” explained Mr. Hilton. “In true Meritage Homes fashion, we are rallying in support of those team members in need and will ensure that they receive assistance throughout the long recovery that lies ahead. We will also work to ensure that our entire local team and the area at large have the necessary resources to bounce back during this difficult time.”

About Meritage Homes
Meritage Homes is the eighth-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2016. Meritage Homes builds and sells single-family homes for first- time, move-up, luxury and active adult buyers across the Western, Southern and Southeastern United States. Meritage Homes builds in markets including Sacramento, San Francisco Bay area, southern coastal and Inland Empire markets in California; Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix/Scottsdale, Green Valley and Tucson, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Orlando, Tampa and south Florida; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; Greenville-Spartanburg and York County, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia.

Meritage Homes has designed and built over 100,000 homes in its 32-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and positive customer experience. Meritage Homes is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award every year since 2013 for innovation and industry leadership in energy efficient homebuilding.