Under Secretary Mensah Meets with Central Valley Family Using USDA Funds for New Water Well
While in California last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Lisa Mensah toured a self-help housing tract that Self-Help Enterprises is developing in Merced County and visited with a family that is a recipient of USDA funds. Representative Jim Costa (D-CA) was also on the tour. Under Secretary Mensah and Congressman Costa met with […]
Spotlight on the Intermediary Relending Program
The Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) was first enacted in the 1980s and has had remarkable success in strengthening rural communities through investment in local projects. Because loan capital is revolved several times over the course of an IRP loan to an intermediary, USDA estimates that every $100,000 in IRP loan funds leads to the creation […]
2016 Omnibus Bill Includes Record Funding For Rural Housing Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Rapoza National Rural Housing Coalition Phone: (202) 393-5225 2016 Omnibus Bill Includes Record Funding for Rural Housing Programs WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2015 – Yesterday, Congress released the omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2016. This bill funds several programs, including the Mutual Self-Help Housing Program, Section 521 Rural Rental Assistance, and […]
Do Presidential Hopefuls Have a Plan for Rural America?
The presidential hopefuls are well underway in their respective campaigns, with a combined total of six debates over the past few month. While many candidates are focused on how they can make America stronger, there has yet to be any major discussion on what their plans are for rural America. Read more in Bob Rapoza’s […]
Mutual Self-Help Housing Program Briefing and Reception
The videos that were shown are provided below. 4. Peoples’ Self-Help Housing: 5. Rural CAP Alaska: 6. Self-Help Enterprises: 7. Self-Help Homes:
Report: Reflecting on 50 Years of Success
Throughout rural America communities confront the lack of safe and affordable housing. Rural communities have less access to affordable credit options and lower incomes, which in turn leads to increased instances of persistent poverty. Additionally, many rural communities face substandard housing and lack of plumbing. Because of these issues, rural Americans are often unable to […]
“Spending Turnaround at USDA is Good News for Rural Families”
Bob Rapoza wrote an article on USDA Section 502 spending in FY 2015 that was published by Government Executive today. In the article, Bob discusses the importance of the home loan program for rural communities, the role that Under Secretary Lisa Mensah played in ensuring the success of the program, and the bipartisan support for […]
Rural IMPACT?
Ten communities from around the country have been named Rural IMPACT Demonstration Sites. Rural IMPACT is a part of a larger initiative by the White House Rural Council (also called “Rural Impact” – only this time all the letters of “Impact” are not capitalized), which is designed to address the high rates of child poverty […]
Spotlight on the National Farmworker Jobs Program
The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) is a Department of Labor (DOL) program administered in the United States and Puerto Rico by local organizations to provide services for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. The NFJP program, originally authorized under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, is now a part of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and […]
Why HOME Program Funding Matters
There is a substantial need for housing resources across our nation’s small town and farming communities. Although homeownership is the predominate type of housing available in rural America, rural housing is much more likely to be substandard than in urban areas. In fact, six percent of rural homes are either moderately or severely substandard, often […]