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 released a new fact sheet on rural housing, “Rural American Cannot Address Housing Needs Without Federal Investments.” The fact sheet summarizes data and barriers to rural housing development, including persistent poverty, higher infrastructure costs and a history of economic disinvestment in…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development mission, which oversees the Rural Housing Service, released two new resources to ensure tenants of USDA-financed rental properties benefit from fair housing practices. The first, a “Tenant Rights and Responsibilities” brochure, covers…
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…