USDA Secretary is providing $9.8 Million in grants to help restore rural housing
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is providing $9.8 million in grants to repair rural housing and make energy efficiency improvements in 48 states and Puerto Rico.
The funds are being awarded through the USDA Rural Development Housing Preservation Grant program.
“The Obama Administration believes that every citizen deserves access to safe, sanitary and affordable housing,” Vilsack said. “These grants will help rural residents and rental property owners repair leaking roofs, plumbing or crumbling foundations, as well as add insulation, caulking and energy-saving windows and doors.”
For example, the Chippewa County Housing Authority, in Chippewa Falls, Wis., has been selected to receive a $77,000 grant that will enable the authority to repair the homes of 18 very-low income families and also fund a lead paint reduction program.
In Anthony, N.M., the Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation will receive a $121,848 grant to repair and rehabilitate the homes of five low and very-low income families in designated Colonia areas of Dona Ana County. In addition to the USDA grant, Tierra Del Sol will provide more than $300,000 from other sources.
Housing preservation grants ensure that rural single and multi-family housing stocks are adequate, meet current safety standards and are accessible by individuals with disabilities. Grants are awarded to non-profit organizations, local governments and Native American tribes, who in turn provide loans, grants or loan and grant combinations to eligible applicants.
In 2006, for example, Litza Henry received a loan from Nevada County, Calif., to repair her Grass Valley home. The loan was the result of a Housing Preservation Grant awarded the county. The home needed substantial repairs. However, with an income below 50 percent of the county median, Henry could not afford to fix the home without USDA’s assistance. The home now sits on a solid foundation and has new insulation and energy-efficient siding and windows. Her energy costs have been reduced significantly.
Topics: energy efficiency improvements, government, quiality of life, rural housing, rural residents, USDA
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