In many Iowa communities, the biggest barrier to growth isn’t a lack of jobs or schools — it’s housing.
Too often, the beautiful Victorian on Main Street that should welcome a new family is sitting empty and deteriorating because federal programs designed to help restore and finance rural housing are outdated and buried in red tape.
The problem: USDA Rural Housing programs were written decades ago, and many still operate on systems that belong in another era. As a result, Iowa families can wait nearly a year for loan approvals while repair loan limits fall short of what it actually costs to restore aging homes and keep rural neighborhoods alive.
What’s new: The House just passed the bipartisan 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which includes my Rural Housing Service Reform Act to modernize outdated USDA housing programs and expand access to affordable housing across rural Iowa.
Here’s what that means for Iowa. ⬇️
Why it matters: When young families can’t afford to buy a home in the communities where they were raised, they leave. And when seniors can’t afford to stay in the communities they helped build, rural Iowa loses part of its foundation.
Strong communities need affordable homes, thriving main streets, and the next generation putting down roots. Restoring the American dream of homeownership starts with making government work again for rural America — and with listening to the communities living these challenges every day.
Bottom Line: Iowa communities told us what needed to change. We took those priorities to Washington, and the House delivered. Now it’s time to get this bill to the President’s desk.