Jacqueline Begay had applied a couple of times in the past for Rural Development’s 502 home loan program.

She dreamed of buying some land to place a manufactured house on it.  Ms. Begay wanted her own house because she and her son have been living with her family for the last 10 years. 

Gertrudis Fierro was very excited when the mortgage loan on her new house closed on February 18th 2022.

She said, “Owning my own house has so many pluses especially because I won’t have to pay rent,” something she’s been doing for the past four years.

USDA Rural Development’s 502 Direct Home Loan program has allowed Ms. Fierro to become a homeowner without having to pay a down payment.

Peggy McCellan, a senior with limited income, living in Wayne County, West Virginia was faced with a serious situation in 2021. Ms. McCellan did not have a reliable source of water service to her home. In fact, for over a period of 8 months she found herself without any water service to her home at all! 

Khine Moe grew up in New City, New York, but always dreamed of having a big home and blossoming garden. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, it was the push she needed to make her dream a reality. She started searching for affordable loan programs and found USDA Rural Development (RD).

“USDA 502 Direct loan program was a great fit because it gave opportunities to people like myself who had limited credit and income and wasn't a likely candidate with big banks,” Ms. Moe said.

“When we walked in, I felt like an imposter - Like I just stole somebody’s house,” said Michael Carlos, a Houlton, Maine native and fiancé of Sakoya Blackwell, a member of the Maliseet Indian Tribe in Houlton. “I couldn’t believe it was really ours.”

For years, their family faced housing challenges that went from difficult to worse.

Patsy Reckart of Weston, Lewis County, in rural West Virginia is a local author and a senior citizen who one day found herself in need of some home modifications for the sake of her own health and safety.

Ms. Reckart had fallen in her bathtub and was unable to get out of the tub by herself.  After 15 hours, she was rescued by family and friends who, unable to reach her, came to her home to check on her.

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 house in the 1990s she thought it would be her forever home, but after decades of hard work, a medical diagnosis changed her situation and threatened her stability. She found herself on a limited income, and a new system was out of her reach. Luckily, McDowell’s daughter knew U.S.