U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off National Homeownership Month on June 1. As part of this nationwide celebration, USDA is highlighting programs that help people in rural, Tribal, and underserved areas buy, build, and repair affordable homes and to pay their rent in America’s smallest towns and communities.
Expanding opportunities for homeownership and rental assistance strengthens rural communities like ours and helps families and individuals build wealth and achieve financial stability.
“Rural America is a place everyone can call home,” Vilsack said. “Whether you own or rent a home, you’re invested in and connected to the place you live. While homeownership is a good fit for many, renting also helps people invest in their communities and build wealth for their families and generations to come. This kind of support is critical now more than ever, as people in rural communities face rising housing costs. Through single family, multi-family, rental assistance, home repair and other programs, USDA Rural Development is here to improve rural livability across the United States.”
USDA works to increase access to affordable multifamily rental housing opportunities in rural America. The Department is currently helping nearly 300,000 tenants afford to pay their rent through rental assistance. This assistance ensures low-income and elderly tenants pay no more than 30% of their income in rent. For more information, visit Multifamily Housing Programs | Rural Development (usda.gov).
USDA also works with lenders and community partners to open the door to homeownership for unserved and underserved rural Americans. USDA single family housing programs are:
- The Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan Programprovides loans directly to families and individuals so they can buy or build homes in rural America.
- The Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Programenables USDA to partner with private lending institutions, backing their loans to help families and individuals buy homes in rural areas.
- The Home Repair Loan and Grant Programprovides loans and grants to help families and individuals repair their homes to make them safer, healthier places to live.
- The Mutual Self-Help Housing Grant Programprovides grants to qualified organizations to help them carry out local self-help housing construction projects.
Visit the Single Family Housing program webpage or contact a Rural Development State Office to learn more about USDA homeownership programs near you.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans every day in many positive ways. USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, and making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
It’s a great day in Emporia!
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“Let’s Talk Business” is a weekly column of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Visit Emporia. The mission of the Chamber is to be proactive in creating an environment for business and community success, guided by the vision that positive attitudes promote positive actions. Contact us at 620-342-1600 or chamber@emporiakschamber.org and visit our website at www.emporiakschamber.org.