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

Search Results: 145 Stories
Male and female sanding a floor.

Homeownership Becomes Reality Through Four Bands Community Fund, Rural Development

When Kim Lawrence of Eagle Butte set out to purchase a home, she knew there was work to be done.“I had very bad credit and student loans that had gone unpaid,” said Lawrence. “Before I could buy a house, I needed to clean up my credit, and Four Bands helped guide me along the… [Read More]
South Dakota
HomeownershipHousingRural DevelopmentTribal
Resident hugging her new home.

Partnership’s key to smoothing bumpy road to successful homeownership

USDA Rural Development and Red Cliff Chippewa Housing Authority (RCCHA) have partnered over the years in Wisconsin to help tribal members make repairs to existing homes and to help renters reach their goals of becoming homeowners on tribal-leased land. Carrie Fulton, a USDA… [Read More]
Wisconsin
HomeownershipHousingTribal
A pretty white home with blue shutters and hanging plants

More Than Just Home Repair- Refinance Helps Atlantic County Senior Maintain Independent Living

Ms. Barbara Delozier is a single senior living in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Like a lot of seniors on fixed incomes, Ms. Delozier finds it hard to make ends meet and manage cost of homeownership. Barbara has lived in her home for over a decade. Her home, built in 1965, needed… [Read More]
New Jersey
GrantsHome RepairHomeownershipHousing
Person on a roof

U.S. Army Veteran Builds Roots in Great Falls, Mont.

 In 2017, Heather, a U.S. Army National Guard Veteran, decided to build her home through the Great Falls NeighborWorks self-help housing program, in Great Falls, Mont.  She used a USDA Rural Development Single Family Direct Home Loan to purchase the home she built.… [Read More]
Montana
Homeownership
Brian and Catherine Bartunek family with Rural Development staff outside home

Bartuneks Become Homeowners After Long Journey

Buying a house can be a daunting process for anyone and it’s easy to become discouraged or overwhelmed, but for one South Dakota family, perseverance paid off for their long journey to home ownership. Brian and Catherine Bartunek wanted a place to call home for their three… [Read More]
South Dakota
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022HousingRural DevelopmentTribal
Woman in front of house

Single Mom Builds Montana Roots on Trust Land

Kristen S., a single mom and resident of Red Lodge, Montana, decided to build her home through the Helena Area Habitat for Humanity self-help housing program.  As part of a new initiative, Habitat for Humanity partnered with Red Lodge Area Community Foundation and Trust… [Read More]
Montana
Homeownership

First-time homebuyers find a home in rural Cape Cod

Ghislain and Savannah Beauplant have navigated a highly competitive Cape Cod Massachusetts real estate market for almost two years, armed with patience and perseverance. The family cites their success to having the right people, providing support and knowledge, to bring them to… [Read More]
Massachusetts
Homeownership
Young Caucasian couple with dark colored hair and clothing stand in front of a home with brown siding and tan brick.

USDA Guaranteed Home Loan Brings Couple Independence

Haylee and Hayden Nix were in the market to purchase their first home after renting a house from a relative. Haylee said, “We wanted a home to have our own space and build equity in a property that would benefit us in the future.”The Nix found the house plans and property… [Read More]
Utah
HomeownershipHousing
Smiling man standing on porch of his new house.

Gum Springs Resident Takes “Pride” in Being a Homeowner

Matthew Romig never really saw themselves as a homeowner, or if they did, the visions they had were of a small one- or two-bedroom house with little to no land. “I still wake up sometimes wondering where I am, really it's weird. I mean, I've lived all kinds of places,” Matthew… [Read More]
Virginia
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022

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