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Success Stories

Smith Island, Maryland

Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure is Key to Preserving Smith Island, Maryland

For the people living on Smith Island, the water matters. But it’s about more than the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay from the picturesque island ten miles from the mainland. The multi‐generational residents depend on the surrounding Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods. For many, crabbing, oystering, and ecotourism are what puts dollars in their bank accounts, and food on their tables. In rural communities…
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Search Results: 133 Stories
Kayla Bruce with her three daughters

Partners providing possibilities

When Kayla Bruce relocated from Florida with her three daughters, now 14, 11 and 2, she moved her family into a two-bedroom apartment in the north central community of Leola. Over the past two years, she got involved in the community and her daughters into sports. But as time… [Read More]
HomeownershipHousing
Butte Housing Groundbreaking

Building a Place to Call Home in Rural Montana

As sounds of city traffic fill the air, an obscure vacant lot at a busy intersection in uptown Butte is showing signs of life. Newly excavated foundation preparations dot the landscape. Water and sewer pipes emerge from the ground, signaling the coming of a neighborhood where… [Read More]
Homeownership
Francis & Nicole Badibanga in front of their new home with their four children

Hope Restored Through Hard Work and Perseverance

In Salem, Utah, the reality of homeownership is finally a dream come true for Francis Badibanga and his family of six. Francis achieved this dream by working with a local self-help program, putting in hundreds of hours of sweat equity to bring down the price of his new home, and… [Read More]
African AmericanHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2023Housing
Bobbie Grubb's community becomes cooperative-owned with the help of NCF.

Rural Wisconsin Community Embraces Cooperative Homeowner Model

In 2016, Bobbie Grubb’s manufactured housing community in Wisconsin converted to a cooperative-owned model, a move that would afford residents the power to control what happens in their community for the first time. Manufactured communities, or mobile home communities, provide… [Read More]
CooperativesHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2023
A woman stands outside her home in Nevada.

Persistence Pays Off for New Nevada Homeowner

As too many Americans experience, a huge rent increase caused Un Lee to be displaced from her apartment. She found herself homeless, living in whatever hotel she could afford. Un realized it would be easier to buy a home then continue to sink money into trying to find a rental.… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2023Housing
Bob and Mary Ann Volk outside their remodeled home in Herreid, SD.

Herreid Homes Have New Hope After Rehab

Bob and Mary Ann have lived in the same home for over 55 years. The couple raised their six children here and they all attended the same school in Herreid. But over the years the home has needed updates and eventually those updates were too difficult for Bob and Mary Ann to take… [Read More]
Home RepairHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2023HousingUnderserved
A kitchen with counters, cupboards and a stove

A Family, A Home, And An Education: How Laura Got it Done

Right on the banks of the Mississippi River, Camanche, Iowa, boasts of a long history of small town life. With the big river so close, scenic views are everywhere. With larger cities nearby, education and employment opportunities are within reach. “Camanche is a grassroots… [Read More]
EducationHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2023Rural Development
Linda Lawson on the front porch of her Wytheville, Va., home.

Putting Home Repairs in the Picture for One Wytheville Resident

You won’t find too many people who love their new roof as much as Linda Lawson. The shiny blue metal sheets not only appeal to her artistic sensibilities but also give her a greater sense of security as a barrier from the storms of life. The freelance photographer was already… [Read More]
GrantsHome RepairHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2023
A woman and her son stand outside their newly purchased home, holding a giant key.

A Home for Anya

Anya Lindsey is a single mother with two young children, one of whom is autistic. Anya was living with her parents and sharing just one bedroom with her sons. As she experienced a change in circumstances which came with a little extra income, she hoped to use it to secure a home… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2023Housing
Cora Suzette Lee on the front porch of her new home.

Rebuilding a Family and Community Legacy in Northampton County

While Virginia’s Eastern Shore is known for its majestic sunsets, beaches and rural country living, a short drive off the main roads of Northampton County reveals a persistent poverty area dotted with aging homes that residents have little or no means to repair. Many properties… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2023HousingUnderserved

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