USDA Rural Housing Service Administrator Tony Hernandez celebrated National Homeownership Month with federal, state and local leaders and the public today at the Gering Civic Center in Scotts Bluff County.
“Through homeownership, USDA provides rural families with hope, surprise and joy,” Hernandez said. “They find hope when they find they will be able to afford their own homes; they surprise themselves by how much they are capable of through the process of becoming homeowners. When they step through their front door for the first time or when they sit down and have dinner with their friends and family they are graced with the joy of their own home.”
Since 2009, Scotts Bluff County helped 812 families achieve the American dream of homeownership in partnership with USDA Rural Development Housing programs. Scotts Bluff County holds the largest volume of USDA housing in Nebraska.
Homeownership provides a strong foundation to help build household wealth, start a business or fund education through home equity. Since the creation of USDA's single-family housing programs in 1949, USDA has helped more than 3.85 million rural residents access the American dream of homeownership.
The program included remarks by Hernandez, Nebraska State Senator John Stinner, USDA Rural Development Nebraska Single Family Housing Director Mike Buethe and local representatives.
USDA Rural Development supports Nebraska homeownership through the following programs:
- Direct home loans for low- and very-low-income applicants. Payment assistance is provided that can lower the loan interest rate to as low as one percent.
- Loan guarantees for moderate-income families. The agency works with private-sector lenders to back the lenders' loans.
- Home repair loans and grants to help rural homeowners make improvements or repairs. Examples include making homes accessible for people with disabilities or removing health and safety hazards such as poor wiring or plumbing.
For additional information visit www.rd.usda.gov/ne to learn more about programs offered by Rural Development. To view a list of Nebraska contact information, visit http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices/ne.
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.