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SMITHFIELD, Utah, June 10, 2024 – USDA Rural Housing Service Administrator Joaquin Altoro visited Cache County today to participate in a local self-help home build and meet with rural housing advocates. The visit, held in honor of National Homeownership Month, highlighted the challenges of securing homeownership and the opportunities in working with rural partners.
“I've been lucky enough to meet many people around the country for whom homeownership would be impossible without USDA Rural Development's programs. And while they are truly remarkable programs, we're able to do wonderful things for rural America because of wonderful partners. Seeing these partnership projects first-hand and learning from their experiences makes me so proud to serve rural America alongside them.”
“Finding high quality, safe and affordable homes in Utah is a challenge,” Michele Weaver, Utah State Director for USDA Rural Development, said. “We’re so pleased to welcome Administrator Altoro today to share the solutions we’ve worked toward in partnership with nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and housing representatives, to help generations of families continue to live in our beautiful state.”
Administrator Altoro visited a home build site in Smithfield which is part of a Neighborhood Nonprofit Housing Corporation (NNHC) mutual self-help construction group. NNHC uses USDA grant dollars to help carry out self-help housing construction projects that benefit local families and individuals seeking homeownership. Following the build, Weaver facilitated a roundtable discussion with Administrator Altoro, Mutual Self-Help Program grantees from other Utah areas, and rural housing advocates to consider best ways to serve rural Utah’s housing needs.
This month, USDA Rural Development is highlighting the many ways its housing programs have worked through the years to open the door to homeownership for safe and affordable places for people to live in across the nation. In Utah, since the year 2000, USDA has invested $6.5 billion in single-family housing programs, assisting more than 35,000 households.
Through several program options, USDA Rural Development offers qualifying individuals and families the opportunity to purchase or build a new single family home with no money down, to repair their existing home, or to refinance their current mortgage under certain qualifying circumstances. There are also programs to assist non-profit entities in their efforts to provide new homes or home repair to qualifying individuals and families.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/ut
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