rural

June is homeownership month -- an opportunity for us to highlight the important role housing plays in creating jobs, maintaining viable rural communities and contributing to the economy. Since the start of the current fiscal year, which began last October 1, USDA Rural Development has financed approximately 80,000 home loans for rural residents.

USDA South Dakota Rural Development State Director Elsie Meeks took a tour of the flood control preparations underway in Pierre and Ft. Pierre, last Thursday.  A number of homes are threatened, including those financed by government agencies, including USDA.

Residents are preparing for the worst as the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers  increase water flow from the Oahe Dam from 85,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) to 150,000 CFS.   Flooding is imminent in the communities because of rising water levels on the Missouri River.

June is National Homeownership Month, and this year's theme is "Rural Housing, Rural Jobs" to recognize the housing sector's significant role in creating jobs, maintaining viable rural communities and contributing to the economy.

Weather-related disasters have plagued the United States this spring and the rebuilding efforts appear daunting.  The same weekend that Joplin, Missouri, was devastated by an EF5 tornado, Reading, Kansas, a rural town with a population of 250 was struck by an EF3 tornado.  The scale of the damage in Reading is not comparable to Joplin in terms of dollars, numbers of homes and businesses damaged, or in lives lost.  But the damage in the eyes of each individual and family is equal when you talk to displaced residents of either community.

USDA Rural Development State Director Trina George and numerous local officials and leaders were in two Mississippi counties this spring to commemorate Earth Day and highlight USDA’s commitment to good environmental practices.

State Director George met with officials of the Tallahala Water Association in Bay Springs, Mississippi to mark a recent loan and grant from USDA Rural Development to the water association for improvements to their existing system. The event was held at the office of the water association in Bay Springs.

A large crowd of local officials, library patrons and staff filled the children’s section of the Pittston Memorial Library in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, on a hot May afternoon to hear good news from Senator Robert Casey.  Smiles abounded as Senator Casey announced that the library is receiving a $48,000 USDA Rural Development Community Facilities grant for library improvements.

According to Senator Casey, the funding will be used to purchase 14 new computers, a new selection of children’s, nonfiction, large print, local history and audio books, bookcases, furniture, carpeting and other improvements. With the Luzerne County unemployment rate at 9.5 percent, (higher than the state average), the library’s computers and internet connection are a valuable resource for job seekers. Senator Casey also heralded local libraries as the “beginning of job creation--the beginning of education” where families can come for “tranquility, safety and peace of mind.”

Tonya Clyde, a single mother of two young children was in the process of a divorce and living in a home owned by her soon to be ex-husband.  She needed to find a home for herself, her children, and her 86-year old grandmother.  Since she had always been a stay at home mom and never held a job, she was desperate to find employment and a new home.

With the help of her grandmother to watch the children, Tonya obtained a full-time job as a sales associate.  Becoming employed was a huge accomplishment, and the possibility of owning her own home and providing a better life for her family convinced her to check into USDA’s housing program.

To Elizabeth Bonner, the single greatest thing about her new home is the serenity she feels as she sits on her covered back porch, listening to the water as it rolls over the rocks that line the creek bed bordering the back of her property.

South Dakota Rural Development State Director Elsie M. Meeks addressed a crowd of nearly 500 attendees at the 37^th Annual National American Indian Council Convention & Trade Show in Phoenix, Arizona last week.   This year’s theme was “Connect to the Past, Commit to the Future.”

Meeks, an Oglala Sioux Tribal Member, highlighted Rural Development’s programs and provided stats on the opportunities provided to American Indian/Alaska Native families on a national scale since the year 2000. She noted that the  Single Family Housing Direct Program has helped over 2,600 Native families become homeowners during that time and that  the USDA Guaranteed program has helped an additional 3,700 families achieve their homeownership dreams.  In addition the USDA Home Repair program has funded home repairs for over 3,000 Native families.

The devastation in Joplin is unbelievable, heartbreaking and hard to describe. I have never seen anything like it and hope to never again. The twister tore a path a mile wide and six miles long through the main part of town. It impacted hundreds of businesses and destroyed over 2,000 homes. More than 120 people lost their lives and over 800 people were injured. Scores remain missing or unaccounted for.