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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: 15 Stories
Single Family Housing - Cathy Sylvester

Building a Better Future: Cathy Sylvester's Journey with USDA Rural Development

Cathy Sylvester's journey has been a remarkable testament to perseverance and resilience. She purchased a home through USDA Rural Development Indiana in 2018 as a single mom. With a USDA 502 Direct Loan, she got a modest and comfortable space for herself and her two sons,… [Read More]
Indiana
Homeownership 2024
Brian Bundy with companion, Maddie at their home in Raymond, WA

Dear USDA Rural Development

I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to this department, especially to Trudy Teter and her housing team. I would not have received a loan from USDA if it weren’t for them. I sincerely hope USDA continues this loan program and extends it, as I know there are thousands of… [Read More]
Washington
Homeownership 2024
New homeowner Kaitlyn and son with new home funded by Rural Development Single Family Housing loan.

A New Beginning: How Rural Development Made Homeownership Possible for a Louisiana Family

Inspiring Journey to Homeownership Meet Kaitlyn, a determined single mother from rural Louisiana whose dream of owning a home became a reality through the USDA Rural Development's Section 502 Direct Loan Program. Kaitlyn envisioned providing her son, Tyrin, with the comfort and… [Read More]
Louisiana
HomeownershipHomeownership 2024
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]
New Hampshire
Homeownership 2024
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… [Read More]
Utah
HomeownershipHomeownership 2024
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 single… [Read More]
Nevada
HomeownershipHomeownership 2024Housing
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]
South Dakota
HomeownershipHomeownership 2024Rural Development

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