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Success Stories

Smith Island, Maryland

Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure is Key to Preserving Smith Island, Maryland

For the people living on Smith Island, the water matters. But it’s about more than the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay from the picturesque island ten miles from the mainland. The multi‐generational residents depend on the surrounding Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods. For many, crabbing, oystering, and ecotourism are what puts dollars in their bank accounts, and food on their tables. In rural communities…
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Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 42 Stories
McDowell's Forever Home in Ponca, Nebraska

USDA Rural Development Reflects on Recent Success with Nebraska Homeowner in Ponca

In September 2020, Julie McDowell of Ponca, Nebraska needed a new furnace and air conditioner for her home. The situation felt dire. Not only was the harsh Nebraska winter on its way, but her old furnace was filling her home with dangerous carbon monoxide. When she bought the… [Read More]
Home RepairHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022
Two smiling women on porch of a large old home with wrap around porch

Down but Not Out: RD Helps a Neighbor Recover & Rebuild

Elizabeth McCartney never gives up, and she never gives in. A single mom who raised six children on her own, she ascended the career ladder from grocery-store worker to medical researcher through hard work and intensive education culminating in a master’s degree. But it was the… [Read More]
Home RepairHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022
Yellow one-story house with a smiling woman on the porch.

Customer Recommends USDA for Home Repairs!

"I want to tell you what a wonderful experience I had working with USDA Rural Development..." began the customer appreciation letter written by senior citizen Connie Henson, of Spencer, West Virginia. Ms. Henson wrote, "I needed a new roof for my house and at my age wasn’t sure… [Read More]
Home RepairHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022
Sylvia Hancock with Mountain TOP and USDA RD Representatives

Peace, Love, and Harmony

A continuous partnership between USDA Rural Development and Mountain T.O.P. has helped more than 300 families in the Cumberland Plateau with much needed home repairs. Mountain T.O.P. has received a total of 12 Housing Preservation Grants  to help qualified very-low and low… [Read More]
Home Repair
Solar panels being installed

Home repair loan helps family drastically cut electric bills

Keeping the electric on was crippling the Maggard family. Electric bills ranging from $300-$600 per month ate up the majority of the family’s fixed income. HOMES Inc., one of Rural Development’s strong housing partners in Eastern Kentucky, led a project combining funding… [Read More]
EnergyHome RepairHomeownershipHousingRural DevelopmentSolar Energy
Mendoza Home Repair

Bringing Hope for a Hero through Home Repair

Raymond Mendoza, a retired United States Air Force Veteran, has been a homeowner for over 40 years and felt the overwhelming expense of home maintenance on a fixed income. That’s where the USDA Rural Development Section 504 Home Repair Program was able to help. The Section 504… [Read More]
Home Repair
enny Taylor shows off her refurbuished home after receing a through a USDA Hosuing and Preservation Grant helped repair her failing septic system that was damaging her home.

USDA Helps Single Mom Save Her Home

It is a good day when we are able to reach out and directly effect the lives of people in our state. Penny Taylor was recently divorced. Her home’s aging septic service was failing and damaging her home and yard. Due to her limited income she was unable to afford to have the… [Read More]
Home Repair
Jeanna Dolezal outside her home

Homeowner at Crossroads, Utilizes Home Repair Funding

Homeownership helps families and individuals build savings over time; however, keeping your home in good repair can still be a financial hardship for homeowners.  USDA Rural Development’s Home Repair Loan and Grant Program can assist rural homeowners with these needed repairs… [Read More]
Home Repair
Photo of Corina Ponce and her son

USDA Helps Renovate Homeowner’s Safe Haven

Nearly three years ago, Corina Ponce had purchased a bank-owned home in Redfield, SD. She acquired the property knowing it had been vacant for a few years and needed major repairs. The time had come when she was ready to move forward with repairs to the home. One evening, she… [Read More]
Home RepairHomeownershipHousing
Sewer in the Yard

No Family Should Have Raw Sewage in Their Yard

As a low-income senior citizen who lost her partner and lives solely on Social Security, Ellen is at the center of a multi-generational home where resources are pooled. Ellen called the Kitsap Public Health District in the summer of 2019 to report her failing septic system.… [Read More]
Home Repair

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