Bozeman, Mont., July 18, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development in Montana State Director Kathleen Williams announced today the launch of a pilot program that will expand access to loans and grants for low income Montana homeowners so they can repair homes damaged by flooding in calendar year 2022 and take steps to mitigate future natural disasters. Homes must be located in eligible rural areas and presidentially declared disaster areas.
“Neighbor helping neighbor is the cornerstone of life in rural Montana, where a deep sense of community helps us ride out and recover from the unpredictable nature of life’s many challenges,” said Williams. “And USDA is proud to be a part of that community, providing critical resources to help Montanans re-build from the flooding last year while also taking necessary steps to shore up infrastructure and make sure we can weather the next challenge.”
This USDA pilot program expands eligibility for people seeking Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants to repair and rebuild their homes damaged in areas of presidentially declared disasters.
As a part of this pilot, USDA is making a number of changes, including:
- Lowering the minimum age from 62 to 18 for eligible homeowners.
- Refinancing debt and reimbursing repair costs incurred as a result of the natural disaster and prior to the date of the application.
- Financing costs to relocate mobile and manufactured homes.
Funds may be used in presidentially declared disaster areas that occurred since July 18, 2022, including Carbon, Flathead, Park, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Treasure, and Yellowstone Counties. Funds may also be used in areas subject to future natural disasters in the next two years.
Applications must be submitted by via Grants.gov or directly to one of Rural Development in Montana’s six statewide offices.
For more information on how to apply, contact Housing Programs Director Katina Uecker at katina.uecker@usda.gov, or visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/mt.
Additional information is also available on page 45809 of the July 18 Federal Register. For more resources to support rural communities seeking disaster assistance, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/rural-development-disaster-assistance.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural and Tribal areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
USDA Rural Development has six offices in Montana – Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula. To learn more about investment resources for rural areas in Montana, call (406) 585-2587 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/mt.