Safer Housing Grants

Three Virginia projects are included in today’s announcement of more than 200 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development investments to improve infrastructure, housing and economic conditions for underserved rural and Native American communities.

More than $19 million in Housing Preservation Grants is being awarded to help low-income and very low-income residents in every part of the country repair and rehabilitate their homes. The following Virginia partners received a total of $532,435 for initiatives in targeted areas of the commonwealth:

• Renovation Alliance is receiving $210,000 to remove health and safety hazards from dwellings in Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, and Roanoke counties. Funds will be used for restoration activities that include, but are not limited to, new roofs; electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling repairs; and improvements to address structural issues with the homes.
• The Thomas Jefferson Planning District will use the $212,435 grant to subcontract with local housing nonprofits to carry out emergency repairs, rehabilitation, and home safety modifications for very low-income rural homeowners in Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties.
• Appalachia Service Project Incorporated was awarded $10,000 to assist 15 owner-occupied very low to low-income households with critical rehabilitation and repairs in persistent poverty areas of Lee, Wise, and Dickenson counties.

“All people deserve access to safe and affordable housing, regardless of where they live,” said Perry Hickman, USDA Rural Development Virginia State Director. “These investments will bring federal funding and resources to 13 underserved counties and build stronger, healthier communities in the process.”

USDA is providing a total of $81 million for projects that will benefit hundreds of thousands of individuals and families in 42 states, Puerto Rico and the Marshall Islands/Micronesia. In addition to Virginia, the awards offered through several programs will help finance initiatives in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

USDA Rural Development has also unveiled two new web resources that underscore the agency’s mission to ensure equitable access to federal programs:

• A history webpage traces the agency’s evolution from the Great Depression and New Deal to the present, highlighting the many ways our team supports efforts to create prosperity in rural communities.
• A new Find Programs and Opportunities tool on Rural.gov makes it easier to search, filter and find financing and technical assistance available to address a variety of business, health care, housing, community and economic development needs.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.