South Dakota USDA Rural Development State Director Elsie Meeks announced that Neighborhood Housing Services of the Black Hills, Inc. is the recipient of a Rural Development Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) in the amount of $50,000. To help rural families repair and rehabilitate their homes. Funding is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of their grant agreement.
“Low-income rural families struggle with housing upkeep and maintenance and often have difficulty just meeting their daily living expenses,” said Meeks. “The HPG program provides funding to qualified organizations that can help families make essential repairs to their home, oftentimes removing safety and health hazards. The program can also help lower their future housing costs through energy efficiency and weatherization improvements.”
USDA Rural Development’s Housing Preservation Grant Program provides assistance to very-low and low-income homeowners to repair and rehabilitate their homes. Assistance is also available to rental property owners to repair and rehabilitate their units providing they agree to make such units available to very-low and low-income families.
Since the start of the Obama Administration, USDA has provided more than $43 million in Housing Preservation Grants that have leveraged almost $153 million to repair and rehabilitate nearly 11,000 homes and apartments in rural communities.
President Obama’s historic investments in rural America have made our rural communities stronger. Under his leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities.