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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 their Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…
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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: 111 Stories
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She helped others through USDA programs for years. Now, USDA is helping her.

“Without this program, I would not be in my own home right now.” For years, Amanda Weaver worked to help people get back on their feet through the support of USDA assistance programs. But when it came to buying a house, it was time for USDA to help Amanda instead. As a… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership 2024Housing
picture of a house

Stepping Through The Door

Dylan LaRue knew immediately when he found the home meant for him. With an expansive living room and wide backyard, Dylan immediately envisioned the place as a haven—not only for himself but for his cats. “It was filled with cherished memories waiting to be made,” he said.… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership 2024Housing
Donna Carpegna stands on the front porch of her home in Fort Ashby, West Virginia. Donna purchased the house with help from a USDA Section 502 Direct Loan.

Through Life's Ups and Downs, USDA Is There

Life has its ups and downs. We can make all the plans we want, but sometimes life throws a wrench in those plans. Things were looking up for Donna Carpegna in 1997. Donna was working with USDA Rural Development Area Specialist Wendell Alt to secure a Section 502 Direct Loan to… [Read More]
Homeownership 2024Housing
A photo collage showing a groundbreaking event, a home foundation, and home being framed.

Habitat Partnership Leads to Homeownership for Ellsworth Family

A few days after the St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity celebrated its 28th year of helping families access safe, affordable housing in Wisconsin, a local mother and healthcare worker, Taylor, and her two children joined volunteers on a snowy afternoon in March to break… [Read More]
Housing
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A Partnership Made To Make Homeownership Possible for Native Communities

Native Community Development Financial Institution Relending Demonstration Program It’s very easy to get lost in where to start in the home buying process, between the application, documentation and the housing market it can be overwhelming. That’s when having support and… [Read More]
HousingTribal
Melanie Bauer Dukart and DIane Wiege pose in front of her home in Hazen, North Dakota.

A Helping Hand in Hazen

HAZEN, N.D. – Becoming a homeowner is one of many Americans’ major goals and crowning achievements. The advantages of investing in homeownership go well beyond building equity. Homeownership establishes stability and signifies a planting of roots in community. Homes are where… [Read More]
Housing
An illustration of I.V. Hope Village housing. I.V. Hope Village is a transitional living project in Cave Junction, OR designed to increase the number of affordable housing options.

It Takes a Village: Building Hope in Southern Oregon

A strong community must have affordable housing. The lack of affordable or available housing in Cave Junction, Oregon, has led to a housing crisis that has affected the people of this small, rural community within the Illinois Valley. Unpredictable wildfires and a major shift… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesHomeownership 2024HousingUnderserved
Chelsea Langevin purchased her new home with the help of a USDA Rural Development Section 502 Housing Direct Loan.

Partnership Makes Homebuying Easier for West Virginia Homeowner

It was 2023 and Chelsea Langevin was in the market for a new home. It wasn’t Chelsea’s first time buying a home, but it would be her first time doing it on her own. Chelsea knew she needed some help weighing her options and helping her through the homebuying process. That’s when… [Read More]
HomeownershipHousing
The exterior of Susan Noesen's home following the tornado that struck Alexandria in May of 2022.

Disaster Repair Grant Helps Minnesota Resident Bounce Back After Devastating Tornado

If it weren’t for Susan Noesen’s sense of humor and optimistic outlook on life, dealing with her tragedy would have been much more difficult. Noesen, a resident of Alexandria, recalls the very day that the unthinkable happened: a tornado ripped through her town, temporarily… [Read More]
DisasterHome RepairHousing
The Union Valley Apartments participates in two U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development RD Multifamily Housing programs that assists the property owners and residents, in Finleyville, PA, on Sept. 2, 2021.

Emergency Rental Assistance Proves Vital to Pennsylvania Tenants

Residents of Multi-Family Housing Complex Thankful For Aid For Carole Fosbaugh, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Multi-Family Housing program has allowed her to age in place in rural Pennsylvania. “I would not have been able to afford to live here and couldn’t have… [Read More]
HomeownershipHousing

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