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Success Stories

“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: 13 Stories
Joyce Caldwell outside her new home

RN Finds Her Goldilocks Home

At 65, Joyce Caldwell is hitting the reset button. Since closing a USDA Single Family Housing Direct Loan to buy a home in Berlin, NH last February, her outlook on life has turned 180 degrees. “There's nothing like having your own home and your own security,” she says. “It's… [Read More]
Cody (Caucasian white male wearing black and grey jacket with matching ballcap) and Melissa (Caucasian young adult female wearing olive green shirt)Olsen in Hyrum, Utah in June of 2024, seen standing within the wooden framework of their Mutual Self-Help house.

Building Generations of Homeownership One Nail at a Time

Cody Olsen remembers when his parents built their own home in Nibley, Utah between 2006-2007. Little did he know that 17 years later he too, would build his family home in the same way his parents did. Cody and Melissa Olsen married during the Coronavirus pandemic when the… [Read More]
landscape of las vegas

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]
Joe Barb and his son outside their home in Rapid Valley

Self sacrifice leads to safe housing for at-risk area youth

Joe Barb isn’t your typical citizen. He’s the type of guy that sees someone in need and doesn’t turn away. Instead, he offers support. On a cold winter day during the COVID pandemic, Joe took his young son to the last barbershop in town that was still open. “I was talking to… [Read More]
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]
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]
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]