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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: 893 Stories
Ashley Schoefield's new home photo

Partnerships Work as Validated by a Happy New Homeowner

Ashley Schofield is a teacher in the Kadoka school system. Ashley had a dream of giving her young children a home of their own. She heard of a lot in town, but the house had been condemned. She contacted the city; the city demolished the house and her mother bought the lot so… [Read More]
South Dakota
Homeownership
Homeownership Gives Rural Family a Lifetime of Security, Safety Amid Pandemic

Homeownership Gives Rural Family a Lifetime of Security, Safety Amid Pandemic

The Mitchell family was living on top of each other in their cramped apartment in the rural town of Tillamook on the northern Oregon coast. The exposed wiring in the second bedroom forced them to share the master with their two young children. They applied for a mortgage loan,… [Read More]
Oregon
Housing
Rushville Fire Truck

USDA Assists in Protecting Residents and Firefighters

The 890 rural residents of the city of Rushville are currently served by a 1974 pumper truck that was refurbished in 1994. The vehicle lacks 4x4 wheel drive which is critical during poor weather conditions.  Also, the truck can't pump and roll simultaneously, and does not… [Read More]
Nebraska
Community FacilitiesDisaster
Ms. Hill in her new home.

RD Helps Mother Buy Her First Home

One of the most rewarding feelings for us at USDA Rural Development is making the call to an applicant once they're approved for a loan under the 502 Direct Home Program. You can hear the excitement in their voice and you can feel the gratitude through the phone lines.… [Read More]
Mississippi
HomeownershipHousing
Home of Glaser.

From a Renter to a Homeowner

Tyler Glaser was tired of renting and wanted a home he could shape into his own.  As he works in Norfolk, Neb. it was an easy decision for him to decide where he wanted to own.   "My Mom works at a title company in Norfolk and pointed me in the right direction to… [Read More]
Nebraska
Homeownership
Lakes Andes Fire Truck

Improving the Efficiency and Delivery of Fire Protection Services

The focus of any fire department is to reduce deaths and injury due to fire related hazards. Having protective clothing as well as updated trucks and equipment is vital, which improves the efficiency and delivery of fire protection services. The Lake Andes-Ravinia Fire… [Read More]
South Dakota
Community Facilities
Ready to Buy Our Home

Ready to Buy Our Home

Miranda Keifer is a single mother of a nine year old daughter.  They currently live in Norfolk, Neb. which they decided to call their hometown.    Miranda had rented for years and was now ready to take the ultimate step, buying her first house. "I decided to buy… [Read More]
Nebraska
Homeownership
April Showers Bring May Flowers...and the Need for a New Roof

April Showers Bring May Flowers...and the Need for a New Roof

Barbara Cagle is an avid gardener and knows how important the early spring rains are to her flowers. This year however, the April showers threatened the safety of her home. Barbara, who lives in Tracy City, Tenn which is a persistent poverty county, knew when her roof started to… [Read More]
Tennessee
Home Repair
The Smith Family showing off their new home.

A Place to Call Home

New Orleans natives, Kerry and Trellis Smith, had long dreamed of purchasing a home but because of limited resources, low inventory, and the rising costs of houses in North Texas, this dream seemed out of reach. After a very exhaustive search and applying for loans with other… [Read More]
Texas
Housing
Edna Contreras became a first-time homeowner in Spring of 2020 at the age of 71. She realized that this long-time dream could become a reality with the help of USDA's Single-Family Housing Program.

It's Never Too Late

As a single mother of two children, Edna Contreras worked hard but didn't think it was possible for her to actually own her own home until she learned about USDA Rural Development.   With her children grown, Edna was living in a place where she struggled to afford… [Read More]
West Virginia
Homeownership

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