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Success Stories

A mother and three daughters pose around a dining room table. There are lace curtains and blue wall in the background and some dishes on the table in the foreground.

“This is Home” – A Family Finds Their Forever Home in Calais, Maine

One of the first rooms Heather Gagne and her daughters began redecorating in their new home is the dining room, shown in the top photo. They have been busy repainting and making other updates. Raising a family in coastal Machias, Maine may sound lovely, but for Heather Gagne recent years proved stressful. There were few housing options in the Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…
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Find Stories

Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 155 Stories
Ashley's home and family

Creating a Legacy: Ashley Elk Nation builds forever home in Badger Park

Submitted by Four Bands Community FundAshley Elk Nation had been living in a single-wide mobile home in Eagle Butte with her two sons for several years. Although she owned the home, her desire to do her best for her children was tugging her towards a safer neighborhood."I wanted… [Read More]
South Dakota
HomeownershipHousingRural DevelopmentTribal
Woman fills coffee pot with water in sink

The coffee’s on at Kim's

The coffee’s on in a refurbished house in rural Radisson, where the dream of homeownership is being experienced for the first time ever with the help of a USDA Single Family Housing direct loan.After much dedication, a new homeowner who worked throughout most of her adult life… [Read More]
Wisconsin
HomeownershipHousing
Larry Geraldson, Army veteran with his wife and first house built with Rural Development loan.

Full Circle: One Veteran's Journey from Rural Development Loan Recipient to Advocate

Of the 4.6 million veterans living in rural areas, one is Rural Development of Louisiana's Area Office Director and Army veteran Larry D. Geraldson. Larry served his country for over 21 years in both active and reserve military service, including three combat tours of duty in… [Read More]
Louisiana
Homeownership
Lori Bonifay in front of her home

Building Dreams, Changing Lives: Lori Bonifay’s Journey to Homeownership

GREATFALLS, Mont., Oct. 27, 2024 – At the heart of Montana’s rural communities, USDA Rural Development, Montana is empowering individuals and families to transform their lives through programs like the Self-Help Housing 502 Direct Home Ownership Program. One such success story… [Read More]
Montana
Homeownership
Two USDA staff pose with the homeowner in the grassy front yard of her new home with fall foliage in the background.

"They are still in my corner": Rural Development and Habitat for Humanity Help First-time Homebuyer

When Amber first applied to purchase a home through Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor, she had just started a new job and was looking forward to positive changes for her family. A relative had told her about Habitat’s mission helping people work with volunteers to build… [Read More]
Maine
Community CollegesHomeownership
Blue shirt with wife and catdog

Building a Legacy: Andrew Michael Cochran’s Journey to Homeownership with USDA’s Mutual Self Help Program

For Andrew Michael Cochran, home is more than just a place—it’s a legacy. At just 23 years old, Andrew made the decision to build his own home through USDA Rural Development’s Mutual Self Help Program, following in the footsteps of his parents, who had done the same when he was… [Read More]
Montana
Homeownership
Bodee, his wife Alexandria and their young son proudly stand in front of their first home!

A Growing Family Plants Roots in Wyoming

Bodee and his wife Alexandria were anxious to plant roots for their growing family. With a young son, and another one the way, they were ready to have a space of their own. The couple had never owned their own home, moving from rental to rental in Natrona County.“Homeownership… [Read More]
Wyoming
HomeownershipHousing
Tonya S outside her home in Georgia

In Rural Georgia, Community and Commitment Lead to Homeownership Success

Tonya S. is a hardworking mother of two who lives in Dublin, Georgia. A longtime employee of a local restaurant, Tonya has found a way to balance her work life with her family life over the years. So, when a friend from church told her about USDA Rural Development’s Single… [Read More]
Georgia
Homeownership
New homeowner Kaitlyn and son with new home funded by Rural Development Single Family Housing loan.

A New Beginning: How Rural Development Made Homeownership Possible for a Louisiana Family

Inspiring Journey to Homeownership Meet Kaitlyn, a determined single mother from rural Louisiana whose dream of owning a home became a reality through the USDA Rural Development's Section 502 Direct Loan Program. Kaitlyn envisioned providing her son, Tyrin, with the comfort and… [Read More]
Louisiana
HomeownershipHomeownership 2024
Pamela Popso used a RD Guaranteed home loan to secure her first house

Turning Dreams into Brick and Mortar

Amidst the winding roads and one stoplight towns of South Jersey, one mother’s story can be told through determination and dreams fulfilled. Born and raised in this rural corner of the Garden State, her path to achieving this lifelong dream required challenges, resilience, and a… [Read More]
New Jersey
Homeownership

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