Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off National Homeownership Month. Each year, as part of this nationwide celebration, USDA highlights programs that help people in rural and Tribal areas buy, build and repair affordable homes.
At USDA, we believe every American should have the opportunity to own a home. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development has helped over 266,000 rural individuals and families buy, build and repair homes through programs including the Single Family and Multifamily Housing Programs. USDA is ready to support the housing needs of all people living in rural and Tribal communities.
Take, for instance, Norma Nix, a resident of Mineral Hills, New Mexico. When a forest fire destroyed her family home, USDA Rural Development stepped in to help. “I lost everything on Mother’s Day—my entire home, my photos, and of my children’s childhood memories,” Nix explained. Through the Rural Disaster Housing Repair Grant Program, Norma was able to apply for assistance and rebuild her new home. Stories like Norma’s highlight how USDA is helping rural and Tribal Americans and is committed to aiding families who lost their homes to disaster.
USDA Rural Development’s number one program, Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans, enables qualified lower-income applicants to buy homes with no money down. Kailee Meyer, a recent graduate and resident of Jasper County, Iowa, realized her dream of homeownership through this program. “When I graduated from Central College in Pella, I wondered what I was going to do for housing,” said Meyer. “I never had to worry about it before”. Meyer researched USDA after a family friend introduced the idea to her and found the program that helped her purchase the home of her dreams. Since its inception, approximately 2.2 million families and individuals have purchased homes with USDA’s Single Family Housing Direct Loans program.
President Biden announced a plan to increase affordable housing throughout the country, especially in rural areas. The plan aims to close America’s housing supply shortfall by creating and preserving hundreds of thousands of affordable housing units. It will also help renters struggling with high rental costs by focusing on building and preserving rental housing for low- and moderate-income families.
For more information about homeownership, home repair, and rental assistance programs, visit the Single Family Housing program webpage or contact a Rural Development State Office to learn more about USDA homeownership programs near you.
