USDA offering home repair grants

TEMPLE – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that USDA Rural Development is accepting competitive applications from qualified public agencies and nonprofit organizations for grants to help low and very low income level residents in rural areas repair their homes.

“The costs associated with maintaining a home are a challenge for many rural homeowners and the funding we are announcing today will help low and very low income residents in rural areas maintain and repair their homes,” Vilsack said. “The Obama Administration and USDA are working to ensure that rural homeowners have safe, sanitary, energy-efficient places to live.”

Housing Preservation Grants are provided to intermediaries such as town or county governments, public agencies, federally organized Indian tribes and nonprofit or faith-based organizations. The grants are then distributed to qualified low and very low income homeowners. The grants can be used to weatherize and repair existing structures, install or improve plumbing or provide access to people with disabilities. To determine if your area is eligible for the Housing Preservation Grant, visit http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do

Locally, a recent USDA Rural Development Housing Preservation Grant was awarded to the Rolling Plains Management Corporation of Wichita Falls, TX. A $200,000 grant was awarded to rehabilitate 94 houses owned and occupied by very-low and low income individuals in Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cottle, Foard, Hardeman, Jack, Montague, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise and Young counties. A separate $25,000 grant is being used to improve the quality of housing and energy conservation for 11 low income Baylor County homeowners by repairing or replacing the roofs on their homes.

USDA Rural Development will accept applications for Housing Preservation Grants until June 28, 2010. All applications must be filed at the USDA Rural Development Texas State Office. To request an application packet, please contact Mr. Leon Carey at 254-742-9772.

Further information on rural programs is available at local USDA Rural Development offices or by visiting http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/tx/.