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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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Find Stories

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

Search Results: 145 Stories
Ms. Hill in her new home.

RD Helps Mother Buy Her First Home

One of the most rewarding feelings for us at USDA Rural Development is making the call to an applicant once they're approved for a loan under the 502 Direct Home Program. You can hear the excitement in their voice and you can feel the gratitude through the phone lines.… [Read More]
Mississippi
HomeownershipHousing
Home of Glaser.

From a Renter to a Homeowner

Tyler Glaser was tired of renting and wanted a home he could shape into his own.  As he works in Norfolk, Neb. it was an easy decision for him to decide where he wanted to own.   "My Mom works at a title company in Norfolk and pointed me in the right direction to… [Read More]
Nebraska
Homeownership

Ready to Buy Our Home

Miranda Keifer is a single mother of a nine year old daughter.  They currently live in Norfolk, Neb. which they decided to call their hometown.    Miranda had rented for years and was now ready to take the ultimate step, buying her first house. "I decided to buy… [Read More]
Nebraska
Homeownership
Edna Contreras became a first-time homeowner in Spring of 2020 at the age of 71. She realized that this long-time dream could become a reality with the help of USDA's Single-Family Housing Program.

It's Never Too Late

As a single mother of two children, Edna Contreras worked hard but didn't think it was possible for her to actually own her own home until she learned about USDA Rural Development.   With her children grown, Edna was living in a place where she struggled to afford… [Read More]
West Virginia
Homeownership
Simmons Home

What Are You Waiting For

It was a Sunday afternoon when Berlynn Simmons was standing in line to check out at a local big box store located in the Low Country of South Carolina.  She noticed that a local Realtor was standing in the line behind her and decided to ask her some questions about the home… [Read More]
South Carolina
Homeownership
Scharff Home

Miracles Do Happen

The road towards homeownership for the Scharff family wasn't easy.  However, with the help of USDA Rural Development, miracles do happen.  In 2015, Jessie Scharff returned home to take care of her mother, who's health had started to decline.  Sadly, her mother… [Read More]
South Carolina
Homeownership
Crystal Dahl in front of her new home.

Heavenly Homeownership Experience

Single mother of three girls Crystal Dahl was determined to make her dream of homeownership a reality. She and the girls were living in an apartment that lacked adequate space and comfort. Crystal began looking at several homes through a realtor and she finally found one she… [Read More]
South Dakota
Homeownership
When owning a home seemed impossible, Sandra and Michael achieved homeownership for their family through their own sweat equity.

Achieving Homeownership Helps Rural Family Reduce Expenses

Sandra and Michael thought homeownership was beyond their reach. They never imagined it was not only possible but that they could reduce their housing expenses by buying a home. They were living in a manufactured house with their three children and their dog. The home was built… [Read More]
Oregon
HomeownershipHousing
family happy to be home

A Mother and Three Children Find Stability in Their Home

After the Peters family moved from Rapid City, SD to Chadron, NE for a job opportunity, Alyssa decided that she needed a home of her own to provide some stability for her children Emma, 11, Matthew, 9, and Carter, 6, by giving them their own space.  Alyssa searched… [Read More]
Nebraska
Homeownership
Jill Burcham, pastor at Push Ministries in Galax, applied for and received a USDA Rural Development direct home loan in 2015. She now helps her Push Ministries clients navigate the same process to become homeowners themselves.

A P.U.S.H. for Homeownership in Galax

Jill Burcham has spent the last nine years building P.U.S.H. Ministries, an organization in Galax that today helps nearly 800 people per month put food on tables, learn life skills, transition from prison and climb out of addiction. This year, in an attempt to further help her… [Read More]
Virginia
HomeownershipHousing

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