Rural communities face unique challenges when dealing with the affordable housing crisis. Because development does not generally occur at a large scales in rural areas, construction costs are often higher in rural communities compared to urban areas, which reduces the incentives for private investment. Additionally, a lack of access to credit in many rural areas limits funding for maintenance of existing units.
NLIHC works with our state and national partners to advocate for increased funding for USDA and HUD programs, particularly those that provide funding to non-profits that support the creation of affordable housing.
Memo to Members and Partners Articles
NLIHC joined a letter along with 15 other national organizations in support of the “Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2023” (H.R.6785), which would modernize and improve the administration of housing programs run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS). NLIHC…
USDA Announces 5/2 Community Roundtable on Tenant Rights and Protections in USDA-Financed Properties
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will host a community roundtable on May 2 from 2 to 3:30 pm ET for residents of USDA-financed housing. Roundtable participants will be able to provide feedback to USDA on existing protections and discuss additional ways USDA Rural…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced new decoupling authority, as provided in the fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill, to decouple Rural Housing Service Rental Assistance (RA) from direct loans for maturing properties. Currently, when a USDA Section 514- or Section 515-financed…
HUD released on April 10 a proposal to update existing screening regulations for applicants to HUD-assisted housing with conviction histories or a history of involvement with the criminal-legal system.
Under current policy, public housing authorities (PHAs) and landlords of HUD-assisted housing…