Stakeholder Announcement
USDA Launches Pilot Program to Help Rural Homeowners, Including People Affected by Disasters, More Quickly Access Funding to Repair Their Homes
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden today announced that USDA is launching a new pilot program in 23 states, American Samoa and Puerto Rico to make it easier for rural homeowners to repair and rehabilitate their homes.
The pilot will help USDA’s Single Family Housing Home Repair Loans and Grants program better meet industry standards, while continuing to protect homeowners from fraud. It removes regulatory barriers to make it easier and faster for contractors to complete needed home repairs for rural homeowners.
These changes will enable homeowners, including people in areas affected by Presidentially Declared Disasters and those living in Rural Partners Network communities, to access the funding they need more quickly so they can rebuild or repair their homes faster.
Beginning today until Dec. 2, 2026, applicants in select states and territories may use program funding to pay contractors or suppliers for construction materials prior to delivery.
The pilot is effective in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico.
USDA’s Single Family Housing Home Repair Loans and Grants program provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes, The program also provides grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards.
For more information about the pilot, see page 95079 of the Dec. 2, 2024, Federal Register.
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