Introduction
Although low-income and working families in rural areas are more likely than their urban counterparts to own their homes, many rural homeowners live in substandard housing. The social service programs that provide assistance to families to bring their homes up to code are few and far between. The elderly, a significant population in rural areas, need housing accommodations that enable them to stay in their own homes rather than be forced to leave their communities for assisted living facilities or nursing homes. Homelessness exists in rural communities although it is less noticeable because relatives or friends often provide temporary living arrangements for homeless individuals.
Most housing and social service providers in rural communities are located in county population centers, or they are multi-county organizations that are not easily accessible. Various federal agencies have housing programs that provide help. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds three primary types of housing assistance to low-income families: public housing, tenant-based housing and project-based programs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service (RHS) operates a broad range of programs that provide assistance regarding homeownership, housing rehabilitation and preservation funding, rental assistance, and help to developers of multi-family housing and community facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
American Housing Survey (AHS)
Web site
The American Housing Survey collects data on the Nation's housing, including apartments, single-family homes, mobile homes, vacant housing units, household characteristics, income, housing and neighborhood quality, housing costs, equipment and fuels, size of housing unit, and recent movers. National data are collected in odd numbered years, and data for each of 47 selected Metropolitan Areas are collected currently about every six years. The national sample covers an average 55,000 housing units. Each metropolitan area sample covers 4,100 or more housing units.
Avoiding Foreclosure - Resources in Your State
Web site
Provides links to foreclosure prevention resources in each state.
Co-Occuring and Homeless Activities Branch (CHAB)
Web site
Helps SAMHSA grantees, health professionals, and the public address problems of homelessness and co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders through a web site providing documents, tools, and contacts, including resources specific to rural America.
Community Investment Futures
Web site
Works to increase the number of Community Action Agencies (CAA) doing community economic development and to expand the scope and nature of CAA community economic development.
Directory of National, Statewide and Local Homeless Advocacy Coalitions
Web site
Online directory of homeless and housing advocacy coalitions. This includes groups working on the national, statewide and local (community or county) level.
Disability Rights and Resources
Web site
Designed to answer frequently asked questions on the housing rights of people with disabilities and the responsibilities of housing providers and building and design professionals under federal law.
Find Senior Care Resources
Database
Search by state or resource to find organizations and services targeted for seniors regarding end of life care, financial planning and management, health care, home care, housing resources, legal resources, and transportation resources.
Find State and Local Housing Resources
Web site
Users may select a state or territory on the map or list of states to find housing resources in a specific area for people with disabilities.
Foreclosure Mitigation Toolkit for Communities
Web site
Provides resources to assist communities in addressing the current turmoil in the housing market and minimize the impact of foreclosures on neighborhoods. Web links and local resources are included.
Foreclosure-Response.org
Web site
An online guide to foreclosure prevention and neighborhood stabilization. Offers resources to help states and localities respond to the foreclosure crisis.
GovLoans.gov
Web site
Single point of access for information about Federal loan programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and U.S. Small Business Administration.
Health Centers Program: Special Populations
Web site
Information about the health centers programs for special populations, including the Migrant Health Center program, Health Care for the Homeless program, Public Housing Primary Care program, and Native Hawaiian Health Care program.
HHS.gov/Recovery
Web site
Provides information and resources on the programs invested in improving health and human services supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Homelessness Resource Center
Web site
An interactive community of providers, consumers, policymakers, researchers, and public agencies at federal, state, and local levels - sharing knowledge and promising practices to prevent and end homelessness through: training and technical assistance, publications and materials, on-line learning opportunities and networking and collaboration.
Homelessness Resource Exchange
Web site
One-stop shop for information and resources for providers who are assisting persons who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Housing America 2007 Toolkit
Web site
A toolkit to help in the preparation and implementation of NAHRO events and activities designed to work with local representatives from organizations representing industry partners in support of housing and community development interests.
Housing Assistance Council Resources for Individuals
Web site
Provides a list of links to organizations that may help with housing assistance for an individual.
Housing Authority Websites
Web site
Provides lists of state and regional housing agencies.
Housing Cost Calculator
Web site
An online calculator that compares owning a home and renting. Given the user's expected purchase costs and other data, the Center for Economic and Policy Research calculator determines the net costs of owning and renting. The user must select a specific location; some small cities are included, and some rural areas are not.
HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agencies
Web site
Housing counseling agencies throughout the country that are funded by HUD who can give advice on buying a home, renting, defaults, foreclosures, credit issues and reverse mortgages.
HUD GIS Tool for Communities
Web site
A free downloadable GIS tool with tutorial for communities that allows users to explore HUD
project data as well as design and print custom maps.
HUD Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
Web site
Provides documents from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that are translated into various languages including, but not limited to: Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Creole, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
HUD USER
Web site
Primary source for Federal Government reports and information on housing policy and programs, building technology, economic development, urban planning, and other housing-related topics. Produced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R).
HUD Veteran Resource Center (HUDVET)
Web site
Strives to increase knowledge of and participation in HUD homeless assistance programs and services for veterans and other individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Created as a result of a partnership between National Veteran Service Organizations and HUD.
Hurricane and Other Disaster Relief Information
Web site
Provides resources to aid in the hurricane recovery process.
Individual Assistance Center (FEMA)
Web site
Federal site for registration of services for people affected by disasters in federally designated disaster areas. Includes telephone, TTY and online access to registration and information that is available in English and Spanish.
Local Homeless Assistance
Web site
Provides access to programs managed by local organizations that support a range of services, including shelter, food, counseling, and jobs skills programs. Information is organized by state.
Locate In-Person Services
Web site
Contains an A-Z list of government offices and services used to locate such services and offices by state or local area. Website is also available in many other languages.
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
Web site
Encourages the construction and rehabilitation of apartments affordable to low-income families by offering a credit or reduction in tax liability for 10 years for the owners or developers of such housing.
National Association for State Community Services Programs State Contacts
Web site
Provides contacts for state community services programs funded through the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program (DOE/WAP).
National Farmworker Job Program Housing Directory
Web site
Directory of Housing Programs by state for farmworkers.
National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling
Web site
Provides tools and documents including a set of guidelines to promote quality homeownership education and counseling services.
Research & Resources for Rebuilding
Web site
A list of relevant publications and ordinances to assist officials, builder/developers, and others involved in the Gulf Coast hurricane recovery efforts. This special package contains publications and other materials that can help local officials and rebuilding teams in their efforts to develop sound, affordable housing that can be produced relatively quickly.
Rural Development Instructions
Web site
Links to proposed rules, revised and final instructions related to USDA Rural Development.
Rural Homelessness Capacity Building Project
Web site
Provides rural homeless organizations with the technical assistance, training, information, and financial resources they need to improve their ability to serve homeless populations.
Rural Housing and Economic Development Gateway
Web site
Connects rural organizations with information, technical assistance, training, and investment capital to help them develop, rebuild, and preserve affordable housing, local economies, and essential infrastructure.
Rural Housing Data Portal
Web site
Provides population and housing data at the national, state, and local levels, combining information from several sources to help users locate data needed for funding applications and other purposes.
Rural Housing Resources
Web site
Information on federal and private housing resources for rural communities and individuals living in rural areas.
Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity
Web site
A foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States.
State Human Service Agency Information and Links
Web site
Provides a directory of state human service agencies. Includes telephone numbers and links to websites for each state's agency or agencies dealing with human service programs.
USDA Rural Development Funding Notices
Web site
Links to current USDA Notices of Funds Availability (NOFAs) for rural development programs.
USDA Rural Development Multi-Family Housing Rental Website
Web site
Renters looking for USDA-subsidized units can search by state, county, town, or zip code.
VirtualCAP
Web site
Provides information and resources that can be used by Community Action Agencies and others to help low-income persons and families move toward self-sufficiency and to reduce poverty in communities across the United States.
Funding
2009 and 2010 Stand Down Grant Award
Funding for events that assist homeless veterans.
2010 J. Jill Compassion Fund
Grants to provide financial support on a national scale to community-based organizations and/or programs whose mission is that of aiding women and children in need.
Calvert Foundation Loan Program
Loans to community organizations that act as financial intermediaries, including loan funds, microfinance institutions, affordable housing developers and social enterprises.
Capital Grant Component of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program
Grants to help offset the capital expenses of organizations that create and provide supported housing and/or supportive service center services for homeless veterans.
Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless
Unutilized, underutilized, excess, or surplus federal properties for use to assist homeless persons.
FY 2010 Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program
Grants to support programs that provide assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who are in need of transitional housing, short-term housing assistance, and related support services.
Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Grants for eligible property owners to make energy and green retrofit investments in the property, to ensure the maintenance and preservation of the property, the continued operation and maintenance of energy efficiency technologies.
HOPE VI Main Street Program
Grants to small communities to assist in the rehabilitation and new construction of affordable housing in conjunction with an existing program to revitalize a historic or traditional central business district.
HUD State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
Funding for revitalizing neighborhoods, expanding housing, improving community facilities and services, acquiring property such as land and buildings, and improvements to property.
Rural Housing Demonstration Program
Grants intended to increase the availability of affordable Rural Housing for low-income families through innovative designs and systems.
Rural Housing Service, USDA; Multi-Family Housing, Single Family Housing Grants and Loans
Grants and loans for a broad range of programs that support housing, and assisted housing.
Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program
Funding that provides communities with a source of financing for economic development, housing rehabilitation, public facilities, and large-scale physical development projects.
Section 538 Multi- Family Housing Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP) Demonstration Program
The Demonstration Program's purpose is to test the viability and efficacy of the concept of a continuous loan note guarantee through the construction and permanent loan financing phases of a project.
Stimulus Assistance: USDA Rural Development Programs
Grant, loan, and loan guarantee assistance to rural residents, rural communities, and rural utility systems.
U.S. Bancorp Foundation Grants
Support for the creation of economic opportunity through grants to organizations that provide affordable housing, encourage self-sufficiency, and assist economic development.
USDA Disaster Assistance Grants
Assistance to areas affected by hurricanes, floods, and natural disasters occurring in calendar year 2008 that have been declared a major disaster by the President.
VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program
The focus of this NOFA is to encourage applicants to continue to deliver services to the homeless Special Need veteran population.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this topic that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Presents data on sheltered and unsheltered homeless people and on the national supply of emergency, temporary, and permanent housing for them. Rural and suburban data are combined in the analysis.
Date: 07 / 2009
2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Reports on family homelessness in rural and suburban areas. Includes data through September 2008 that found a nine percent increase from 2007 to 2008 in homeless families using shelters.
Date: 07 / 2009
32 Years of Housing Data
Author(s): Frederick J. Eggers, Alexander Thackeray
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Reports on a study that describes housing changes between the years 1973 through 2005. Includes statistics on rural housing.
Date: 07 / 2007
A Compass for Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What Users of Data for Rural Areas Need to Know
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
An introduction to the American Community Survey for those who use rural social, economic, and housing data.
Date: 08 / 2009
Accounting & Financial Operations for Nonprofits in Rural Housing
Author(s): Karin Klusmann, Theodore Russell
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
This manual provides the basic information necessary to manage the accounting and financial areas of a nonprofit organization. Although information is included concerning the actual processing of transactions and reconciling of accounts, this manual is not intended to provide detailed bookkeeping instruction, but rather to provide an overview of the critical accounting and financial areas for which nonprofits are responsible.
Date: 10 / 2004
Affordability Index: A New Tool for Measuring the True Affordability of a Housing Choice
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Conference of Mayors
Describes an information tool developed by the Urban Markets Initiative to quantify, for the first time, the impact of transportation costs on the affordability of housing choices.
Date: 01 / 2006
Affordable Green Building in Rural Communities
Author(s): Mark Kudlowitz
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Explores the specifics of green affordable housing and the challenges in rural areas.
Date: 05 / 2007
Affordable Housing Program
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
An information sheet on the Affordable Housing Program available through the Federal Housing Finance Board.
Date: 01 / 2006
American Community Survey Estimate Shows Larger National, State Affordable Rental Housing Shortages
Author(s): Danilo Pelletiere
Sponsoring organization: National Low Income Housing Coalition
Discusses an analysis of data from the Census Bureau's new American Community Survey that found those with the lowest incomes face the greatest shortage of affordable units, nationwide and in every state.
Date: 02 / 2007
Asset Building and Rural Home Ownership
Author(s): Jon Bailey
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
Discusses rural home ownership and related problems such as the age, condition, and cost of the rural housing.
Date: 07 / 2005
Assisted Living In Unlicensed Housing: The Regulatory Experience Of Four States
Author(s): Bernadette Wright,
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Examines the issues that assisted living in unlicensed housing might have for consumers, in terms of quality of care, quality of life, and access to affordable assisted living services. Describes four states’ experiences with this model and discusses the implications for state policy.
Date: 04 / 2007
Benefitting from the Housing Act of 1949
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Two households share how their lives have been changed by the programs that were created by the Housing Act of 1949.
Journal citation: Volume 14 Issue 3
Date: 2009
CDBG Works for Rural Communities
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
A special issue that focuses on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). State, county, and local community development practitioners share their stories of how the CDBG program has worked for their communities.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 11 Issue 01
Date: 2006
Community Services Block Grant: Annual Report, 2007
Author(s): Jenae Bjelland, Madelaine Criden, Meg Power, Jennifer Clark
Sponsoring organization: National Association for State Community Services Programs
Reviews how the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)-funded network of state and local agencies helped individuals and families overcome economic insecurity in FY 2007.
Date: 05 / 2009
Compatible, Innovative, Sustainable, and Green: Responsible Site Development and Leed Neighborhood Design
Author(s): Guy Thomas Kempe
Sponsoring organization: Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
Rural Ulster Preservation Company discusses its participation in the LEED Neighborhood Development Pilot Program and its plans for Woodstock Commons, a green affordable housing project in upstate New York.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 12 Issue 2 Pages: 15-16
Date: 2008
Concentrated Rural Poverty and the Geography of Exclusion
Author(s): Daniel Lichter, Domenico Parisi
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Reports that social exclusion and isolation in poor communities often reinforce racial and class inequality.
Date: 2008
Connecting the Dots: A Location Analysis of USDA’s Section 515 Rental Housing and Other Federally Subsidized Rental Properties in Rural America
Author(s): Lance George, Leslie R. Strauss, Mark Kudlowitz
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Examines where Section 515 affordable rental home developments are located with respect to other federally subsidized rentals and reviews their role in their rural communities’ rental housing
networks.
Date: 05 / 2008
Crafting a Path Toward Long-Term Viability
Author(s): Sharon Wise
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
An overview of the Native American Housing Services (NAHS) organization established in 1999 to provide decent and safe affordable housing to low income families and individuals in the State of Oklahoma.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 14 Issue 3
Date: 2009
Creating a Successful Foreclosure Prevention Program
Author(s): John Van Alst
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Provides tips for organizations interested in creating a foreclosure prevention program.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 13 Issue 2
Date: 2008
Davis-Bacon Act: Public Law 107-217 - Aug. 21, 2002 [as amended]
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Labor
The Davis-Bacon Act, as amended, requires that each contract over $2,000 to which the United States or the District of Columbia is a party for the construction, alteration, or repair of public buildings or public works shall contain a clause setting forth the minimum wages to be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics employed under the contract.
Date: 03 / 1931
Do We Know More Now?: Trends in Public Knowledge, Support and Use of Fair Housing Law
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
This report documents what we have learned about the general public's awareness of and support for the federal Fair Housing Act and the degree to which persons believing they were victims of housing discrimination sought to take advantage of its enforcement provisions.
Date: 02 / 2006
Efforts to Improve Homeownership Opportunities for Hispanics: Case Studies of Three Market Areas
Author(s): Alvaro Cortes, Erin Wilson, Christopher E. Herbert, Pedram Mahdavi
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
This report is part of a multi-phased research project undertaken by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to understand better the factors that influence Hispanic homeownership rates and the reasons why Hispanic rates are lower than those of non-Hispanic whites. Findings presented are based on interviews with key organizations located in three metropolitan areas: Orlando (FL), San Antonio (TX), and Washington DC.
Date: 03 / 2006
Elderly Housing: Federal Housing Programs and Supportive Services
Author(s): David G. Wood
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Contains an overview of federal programs that provide housing for the elderly and which require the provision of supportive services. Includes information on rural housing programs for the elderly.
Date: 06 / 2005
Elderly Housing: Federal Housing Programs That Offer Assistance for the Elderly
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Overview of the federal housing programs that provide housing assistance, including rent subsidies, mortgage insurance, and loans and grants for the purchase or repair of homes, to the elderly. Includes programs that support rural housing for the elderly.
Date: 02 / 2005
Environmental Review: A Guide for Applicants Seeking HUD or USDA Rural Development Financial Assistance
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Provides the guidelines for both the HUD and USDA Rural Development environmental reviews required prior to approval of financial assistance for housing projects. Includes discussion of the steps, levels, and factors reviewed, as well as an explanation of the developer's responsibilities.
Date: 10 / 2007
Foreclosure Hits Rural Communities Too
Author(s): David Dangler
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Highlights some of the challenges rural communities face in dealing with
increasing mortgage foreclosures and several programs that are helping at-risk homeowners.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 13 Issue 2
Date: 2008
Formulas for Success: Housing Plus Services in Rural America
Author(s): Mark Kudlowitz, Jennifer Pinder
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
A resource to rural community organizations involved with or considering housing plus service developments, including information and technical assistance resources, funding sources, and successful models. Includes case studies of four
rural nonprofit organizations and one rural public housing authority that utilize housing plus
services to serve their populations.
Date: 06 / 2006
Going For Zero: The Process of Developing A Near-Zero Energy Home
Author(s): Anne Perkins, Wendy Forbes
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Rural Development, Inc. describes the goals, design process, and energy saving features of the Colrain project, a near-zero energy home located in rural Franklin County, Massachusetts.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages: 7-8, 20-21
Date: 2008
Greening Homes Through Brown Development: Water Conservation and Drought Tolerant Landscaping
Author(s): Allison Holmes
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Working in the arid climate of central Washington, the Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing has developed several techniques to conserve water and reduce utility costs for clients.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages: 13
Date: 2008
Guide to Nonprofit Housing Organizations Serving the Colonias
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
A compilation of organizations, programs, and
resources that serve residents in the colonias along the U.S.-Mexico border. Nonprofit organizations identified include those that currently provide housing and related services to colonias residents or are in the process of establishing such programs. The colonias, rural communities located within 150 miles of the US-Mexican Border, have been recognized as communities with a high need for housing, infrastructure development, and related services.
Date: 01 / 2005
Hate, Violence and Death on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes and Violence Against People Experiencing Homelessness 2007
Author(s): Emmet Keller
Sponsoring organization: National Coalition for the Homeless
A report to educate lawmakers, advocates, and the general public about the problem of hate crimes and violence against homeless people in order to instigate change and ensure protection of civil rights for everyone, regardless of their
economic circumstances or housing status.
Date: 06 / 2007
Heavy Load: The Combined Housing and Transportation Burdens of Working Families
Author(s): Barbara J. Lipman
Identifies and compares housing and transportation costs for working families with $20,000-$50,000 incomes in 28 metro areas. These families move farther from work to afford housing but they spend more on transportation.
Date: 10 / 2006
Help After a Disaster: Applicant's Guide to the Individuals & Households Program
Sponsoring organization: Federal Emergency Management Agency
This program guide provides information about the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) and explains how to apply. The IHP provides money and services to people in disaster areas when losses are not covered by insurance and property has been damaged or destroyed. Designed to help individuals with critical expenses. Guide is available in Spanish and English.
Date: 08 / 2005
Helping Renters Become Homeowners
Author(s): Bernice Beaulieu
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
The Northeast Nebraska Joint Housing Agency has been able to offer a successful homeownership program to very low-income rural residents with USDA Rural Development mortgage loans and mortgage subsidies from the Housing Choice Voucher program.
Date: 2009
Home Financing: Rural-Urban Differences
Author(s): Carolyn Rogers
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Compares mortgage interest rates and financing options available to home buyers in rural versus urban areas.
Journal citation: Amber Waves
Date: 02 / 2006
Home to Stay: Helping Families Avoid or Recover from Homelessness in Maine’s Rural Areas
Author(s): Anne Gass,
Sponsoring organization: Maine Child Support
The results of a study in seven of Maine's rural counties covering a range of topics including homelessness prevention to housing stability, assessment, and recommendations for improvement.
Date: 02 / 2009
Homeless Veterans
Sponsoring organization: National Coalition for the Homeless
Examines homelessness among U.S. veterans. A list of resources for further study is also provided.
Date: 06 / 2008
Homeownership Rate Differences Between Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites: Regional Variation at the County Level
Author(s): George S. Masnick
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Examines the 25 counties in each of the four Census Regions of the United States with the largest regional Hispanic population in 2000.
Date: 03 / 2006
Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008
Author(s): Lyan Joy Pernala,
Sponsoring organization: Council for Affordable and Rural Housing
Discusses the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. This bill is comprehensive and substantive housing legislation that contains many provisions long advocated by CARH.
Date: 2008
Housing Authorities and Rural Communities
Author(s): James Armstrong
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
The Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) Directors Association provides an overview of small PHAs and reforms that can help make them operate more efficiently.
Date: 2009
Housing in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Identifies and discusses housing trends and issues in rural America.
Date: 06 / 2009
Housing on Native American Lands
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Describes Native American housing issues.
Date: 06 / 2008
Housing Tenure, Expenditure, and Satisfaction Across Hispanic, African-American, and White Households: Evidence from the American Housing Survey
Author(s): Thomas P. Boehm, Alan M. Schlottmann
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
This study pools the 1998, 2002, and 2004 MSA samples of the American Housing Survey to compare the housing situations of Hispanic, African-American, and white households.
Date: 02 / 2006
HUD and Rural Homelessness
Author(s): Marcy Kinnaman
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
A brief overview of HUD’s programs and how rural
communities have used these resources to address rural homeless needs.
Date: 2007
Immigration and Housing in Rural America
Author(s): Elizabeth McGaha, Mark Kudlowitz
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Examines rural immigration trends and assesses the impact of a growing rural foreign-born population on housing conditions in rural communities. Provides an overview of foreign-born population change throughout rural America, as well as an analysis of the current housing conditions for foreign-born rural residents.
Date: 09 / 2007
Improving Homeownership Opportunities for Hispanic Families: A Review of the Literature
Author(s): Alvaro Cortes, Christopher E. Herbert, Erin Wilson, Elizabeth Clay
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Reviews the existing literature to examine what is known about the causes of the large gaps that exist between the homeownership rates of Hispanics and those of non-Hispanic whites as well as what is known about the best ways to narrow these gaps.
Date: 03 / 2006
Increasing Home Access: Designing for Visitability
Author(s): Jordana Maisel, Eleanor Smith, Edward Steinfeld
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Discusses the current housing deficiencies and presents the visitability concept as a viable solution that will enable advocates, builders, policymakers, and consumers to prepare for an aging population.
Date: 08 / 2008
Increasing the Availability of Affordable Homes: A Handbook of High-Impact State and Local Solutions
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Identifies and summarize high-impact solutions that state and local leaders, including elected and appointed officials, employers and other decision-makers, can adopt or champion to help working families afford homes in the communities they support.
Date: 2006
Invest Your Best: The Importance of Partnership
Author(s): Bill Jacobs
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Describes how the Housing Authority of McDonough County became a vital part of the local community by thinking creatively about its partners and investing its staff’s time, talent, and resources.
Date: 2009
Measuring Overcrowding in Housing
Author(s): Kevin S. Blake, Rebecca L. Kellerson, Aleksandra Simic
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Explores alternative definitions of overcrowding, summarizes various measures applied to the biennial American Housing Survey, and examines how overcrowding affects various segments of the population using these measures.
Date: 09 / 2007
Mortar and Muscle: Building Community and Assets Through Self-Help Housing
Author(s): Betsy Rubiner
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Looks at the experiences of families working to build their own homes through self-help housing projects across the United States.
Date: 2005
Mortgage Lending in Rural Communities
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Identifies the current characteristics of home mortgage lending in rural America.
Date: 03 / 2008
Moving Home: Manufactured Housing in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
A data review of rural manufactured housing units, residents, and related issues. Includes short pieces written by local rural housing providers, national organizations, and a representative of the manufactured housing industry, highlights some of the pros and cons of using these structures to provide affordable, sustainable homeownership.
Date: 11 / 2005
Moving To Flexibility: Encouraging Flexible Public Housing Programs
Author(s): Julie Davenson
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Describes how the Keene Housing Authority was able to create and offer innovative programs to serve the broader needs of the community by participating in the demonstration program, Moving to Work.
Date: 2009
Multifamily Properties: Opting In, Opting Out and Remaining Affordable
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Examines HUD's assisted project-based multifamily properties that are privately owned properties representing a significant component of federally assisted housing for low-income families.
Date: 01 / 2006
National Low Income Housing Coalition 2009 Advocates’ Guide
Sponsoring organization: National Low Income Housing Coalition
Describes urban and rural housing and housing-related programs, proposals, issues, and pending legislation.
Nonprofit Organizational Sustainability through Community Partnerships
Author(s): Kim C. Datwyler
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Describes how strong community relationships have led to success and stability within nonprofit housing organizations.
Journal citation: Volume 14 Issue 3
Date: 2009
Nonprofit Sustainability: Doing More With Less
Author(s): Stephanie L. Geller, Lester M. Salamon, Sharon Wise, Kim Schaffer, Marlene Anglin, Tanisha Smith, Robin Kees, Tuan Ngo, Kim C. Datwyler, Dana Pancrazi
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
This issue of Rural Voices focuses on nonprofit sustainability. Illustrates what organizations can do and are doing to survive the economic recession to include developing partnerships and encouraging volunteerism that can help sustain housing and other human services programs.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 14 Issue 3
Date: 10 / 2009
Not Your Grandfather’s Trailer: Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing
Author(s): Edna O. Schack
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Frontier Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing organization, developed a unique program that addresses the low-income housing needs of rural Kentucky by providing quality, energy-efficient single section manufactured housing.
Journal citation: Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages: 11-12, 14
Date: 2008
Out of Reach 2005
Sponsoring organization: National Low Income Housing Coalition
Provides a comparison of wages and rents in every county, Metropolitan Area, combined nonmetropolitan area and state in the United States. Includes the option to view data by state, including non-metro statistics for wages and housing costs.
Date: 12 / 2005
Out of Reach 2009
Author(s): Keith E. Wardrip, Danilo Pelletiere, Sheila Crowley
Sponsoring organization: National Low Income Housing Coalition
Data comparing incomes and HUD’s Fair Market Rents in counties and metro areas nationwide confirms housing affordability crisis.
Date: 04 / 2009
Poverty Continues to be Higher in Rural Areas
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Brief overview of rural poverty rates from the U.S. Census Bureau's report, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008.
Date: 09 / 2009
Poverty in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Discusses the characteristics and challenges of the poor in rural America. Includes statistics on demographics, impact on housing, and emerging trends of racial and ethnic diversification.
Date: 06 / 2006
Public Relations Guide for Rural Housing Organizations
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Provides suggestions for organizations of all sizes and budgets, this manual defines public relations concepts and gives a step-by-step guide with a checklist and time line suggestions, lists of PR tools, templates, and case studies.
Date: 03 / 2005
Review of Selected Underwriting Guidelines to Identify Potential Barriers to Hispanic Homeownership
Author(s): Kimberly Burnett, Alvaro Cortes, Christopher E. Herbert
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
A detailed review of mortgage underwriting guidelines used by three of the most common sources of residential mortgage finance - Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) - finds that changes to standard products offered by these major participants over the last decade have addressed some of the barriers to homeownership for Hispanics.
Date: 03 / 2006
Rural Development Instructions
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Links to proposed rules, revised and final instructions related to USDA Rural Development.
Rural Homelessness
Sponsoring organization: National Coalition for the Homeless
Overview of rural homelessness, with discussion of causes and policy issues.
Date: 06 / 2008
Rural Homes: Reinvesting in Rural Communities
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
A special issue of Rural Voices that examines the impact of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and the ways in which banks and community organizations have partnered using CRA to
reinvest in rural communities.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 12 Issue 1
Date: 03 / 2007
Rural Rental Housing Prepayment and Preservation
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
An information fact sheet on the USDA Rural Rental Housing Program's prepayment and preservation procedures.
Date: 01 / 2006
Rural Revelations: The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Partners with Communities to End Rural Homelessness
Author(s): Philip Mangano
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Provides examples from across the nation that highlight effective partnerships between the Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) and local stakeholders.
Date: 2007
Speaking to the Community: DAEOC Homeless Project's Communication Campaign
Author(s): Marlene Anglin
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Describes how the Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation - a Community Action Agency - launched a communication campaign that changed community misconceptions of homelessness, opened a reservoir of untapped support, and gave its program participants new hope.
Journal citation: Volume 14 Issue 3
Date: 2009
State of Fair Housing: FY 2005 Annual Report on Fair Housing
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
The annual report to Congress on several aspects of HUD's work in fair housing, including the progress made in eliminating discriminatory housing practices.
Date: 2006
State of the Nation’s Housing 2007
Sponsoring organization: John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Report supported by a number of organizations that focuses on housing issues in the rural United States.
Date: 2007
State of the Nation’s Housing 2009
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Housing Studies - Harvard University
Reviews the impact of the housing crisis on affordability.
Date: 06 / 2009
Subprime and Predatory Lending in Rural America: Mortgage Lending Practices that can Trap Low-income Rural People
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Discusses predatory lending, which encompasses a range of financial practices that are often targeted at low-income individuals and threaten their income and assets. This is becoming increasingly prevalent in rural communities.
Date: 2006
Toolkit for Affordable Housing Development
Sponsoring organization: Washington Area Housing Partnership
Identifies tools that local governments can use to promote affordable housing. Toolkit includes sections on affordable housing development tools, affordable housing preservation programs, affordable building design, financial tools, homeowner assistance programs, rental assistance programs, and programs for people with special needs.
Date: 2006
Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Housing and Community Development Strategies in Rural Population Loss Counties
Author(s): Mark Kudlowitz, Lance George
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Rural communities that are experiencing population loss are engaged in community development and community marketing strategies to serve the needs of the remaining population, revitalize communities, and encourage in-migration. This report illustrates strategies used in Great Plains states and highlights some communities and organizations that have been successful.
Date: 03 / 2007
Using Family to Fight Homelessness: The Millennium Center in Southwest Georgia
Author(s): Dean Nelson
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Describes how through creative partnerships, the Southwest Georgia Housing Development Corporation has been able to create a comprehensive shelter and service program that addresses the needs of entire families.
Date: 2007
What is the Housing Foreclosure Situation in Rural America?
Author(s): Lance George, Leslie Strauss
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Describes the scope and severity of the foreclosure problem in rural areas through compiled and analyzed private and public sources of information on housing distress. This report highlights of the findings from the investigation.
Date: 10 / 2009
Journals
Center for Rural Affairs Newsletter
A monthly publication that surveys national events affecting rural America.
ResearchWorks
The official newsletter of U.S. HUD's Office of Policy Development & Research. ResearchWorks includes new publication announcements, relevant case studies, and success stories highlighting housing projects and those who work to make it affordable, accessible, energy and resource efficient, as well as readily available.
Rural Delivery
Monthly newsletter. Covers state, federal and private funding opportunities, budget and administrative activities, current issues related to rural poverty and housing, and other related public policy issues.
Rural Voices
Covers rural housing and development topics, published quarterly.
Organizations
2-1-1
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides callers with information about and referrals to human services for everyday needs and in times of crisis.
Accessible Space
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides accessible, affordable, independent and supportive living opportunities for persons with physical disabilities and brain injuries, as well as seniors. This mission is accomplished through the development and cost-effective operation of cooperatively managed housing, supportive living, and rehabilitation services.
American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
National organization
Works to educate members of Congress, the media, and the broader public on what is happening in the states regarding welfare, child welfare, health care reform, and other issues involving families and the elderly.
Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Helps communities create permanent housing with services to prevent and end homelessness.
Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH)
National organization
A non-profit trade organization that serves as a national advocate for participants in the affordable rural housing profession.
Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA)
National organization
Supports the common interest and goals of states, with major emphasis on community development, affordable housing, local economic development and state-local relations.
Enterprise Community Partners
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to see that all low-income people in the United States have the opportunity for fit and affordable housing and to move up and out of poverty.
Finance Project (TFP)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to support decision making that produces and sustains good results for families, children and communities. Develops and disseminates information, knowledge, tools and technical assistance for improved policies, programs, and financing strategies.
Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF)
National organization
Provides free, independent, customized advice to homeowners. Acts as a central resource for homeownership industry best-practices, providing timely access to information on foreclosure issues, options and solutions.
Housing Assistance Council (HAC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Helps local organizations build affordable homes in rural America.
National Affordable Housing Training Institute (NAHTI)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Affordable housing technical assistance provider for state and local officials.
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National organization
Works to mobilize the nonprofit, public and private sectors of society in an alliance to end homelessness.
National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC)
National organization
Promotes, supports, and upholds tribes and tribal housing agencies in their efforts to provide culturally-relevant, decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing for Native people in American Indian communities and Alaska Native villages.
National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP)
National organization
Works to assist states in responding to poverty issues. Provides training and technical assistance to state and local CSBG and WAP staff. NASCSP members are state administrators of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program (DOE/WAP).
National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)
National organization
A housing and community development advocate for the provision of adequate and affordable housing and strong, viable communities for all Americans - particularly those with low- and moderate-incomes. Members administer HUD programs such as Public Housing, Section 8, CDBG and HOME.
National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH)
National organization
A non-profit organization dedicated to establishing healthy, green, and safe homes for families across all income levels through research, education, training, and policy efforts.
National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Engages in public education, policy advocacy, and grassroots organizing focused on housing justice, economic justice, health care justice, and civil rights.
National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Coordinates federal advocacy efforts for affordable housing.
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
National organization
Involves homeless service providers and their clients in political action to reduce poverty and to prevent and end homelessness.
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP)
National organization
Works to alleviate, ameliorate and end homelessness by serving as the legal arm of the nationwide movement to end homelessness.
National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)
National organization
Dedicated to ending America's affordable housing crisis. Focus of advocacy is on those with the most serious housing problems, the lowest income households.
National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH)
National organization
A national organization whose primary concern is to ensure that national homelessness policy accurately reflects the needs of local communities.
National Rural Housing Coalition (NRHC)
National organization
Works for better housing, clean drinking water, and improved community facilities for low-income rural people.
Office of Community Services (OCS)
Federal government
Works in partnership with states, communities, and other agencies to provide a range of human and economic development services and activities in order to reduce the causes and the characteristics of poverty and to assist persons in need.
Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides grants, loans and equity investments to community development corporations (CDCs) for neighborhood redevelopment.
StableCommunities.org
National organization
Provides community development practitioners with information and strategies to stabilize and revitalize communities in the wake of the foreclosure crisis.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Federal government
Responsible for national policy and programs that address America's housing needs, that improve and develop the Nation's communities, and enforce fair housing laws.
USDA Rural Housing Service (RHS)
Federal government
Provides capital for community programs, single-family housing, and multi-family housing.
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
Federal government
Provides resources about DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program that enables low-income families to permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient.
Terms & Acronyms
Emergency Shelter Defined by HUD as any facility, where the primary purpose is to provide temporary or transitional shelter for the homeless in general or for specific
populations of the homeless.
Gentrification The process by which higher-income households displace lower-income residents, changing the essential character of the community.
Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) The largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households. Affordable housing units include acquired, constructed, or rehabilitated structures. Nearly 70,000 tenants have received direct rental assistance. In addition, more than 200,000 new homebuyers have received assistance to purchase their first homes.
HUD U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Multifamily Housing A building with more than four residential rental units.
Public Housing Authority (PHA) The Public Housing Authority owns and operates rental units. The PHA sets the amount of rent required based on income levels. Public housing tenants pay rent directly to the PHA and the PHA in turn uses rental payments to help defray the costs of the program.
Rehabilitation (in housing) Defined by HUD as the labor, materials, tools, and other costs of improving buildings, other than minor or routine repairs. Includes where the use of a building is changed to an emergency shelter and the cost of this change and any rehabilitation costs does not exceed 75 percent of the value of the building before the change in use or an improvement or addition to an existing structure that does not increase the floor area by more than 100 percent.
Renovation Defined by HUD as rehabilitation that involves costs of 75 percent or less of the value of the building before rehabilitation.
RHS (Rural Housing Services) Formerly the Farmers Home Administration, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Section 502 RHS direct loans and guaranteed loans that are primarily used to help low-income individuals or households purchase homes in rural areas. Funds can be used to build, repair, renovate or relocate a home, or to purchase and prepare sites.
Section 504 Home repair and grant program that offers funding to very low-income rural homeowners who own and occupy dwellings in need of repair. This is a one percent loan that may be repaid over a 20 year period.
Section 514 A Farm Labor Housing Loan program from the USDA Rural Housing Service (RHS).
Section 515 A Rural Rental Housing loan program that provides direct, competitive mortgage loans for affordable multifamily rental housing for very low and moderate income families, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities. Funds may also be used to buy and improve land and to provide necessary facilities such as water and waste disposal systems.
Section 516 A Farm Labor Housing Grant program from the USDA Rural Housing Service (RHS).
Section 523 The Mutual Self-Help Housing program from USDA Rural Housing Service that makes homes affordable by enabling future homeowners to work on homes themselves. Qualifying applicants are required to complete 65 percent of the work themselves.
Section 533 The Rural Housing Preservation Grants program provides funding to sponsor organizations for the repair or rehabilitation of low income housing.
Section 538 The Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing program allows approved lenders to increase the supply of affordable moderate-income rural rental housing.
Section 8 Housing Rental units owned and operated by private owners who have received a subsidy from the federal government. HUD is responsible for increasing payments when tenants' rental payments fall.
Transitional Housing Defined by the McKinney Act as housing, the purpose of which is, to facilitate the movement of homeless individuals and families to permanent housing within 24 months or such longer period as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development determines necessary.
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) A program funded by the Department of Energy that reduces heating and cooling costs for low-income families, particularly for the elderly, people with disabilities, and children, by improving the energy efficiency of their homes while ensuring their health and safety.
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