As prices continue to skyrocket, repairing a home is extraordinarily expensive. Homes in rural communities are often older and need repair to keep them inhabitable. Unfortunately, in rural Iowa, more than 10% of the population lives in poverty – and can’t always afford to make necessary repairs or updates to a home.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a program, called Section 504, that provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their homes to remove health or safety hazards. Unfortunately, the amount doesn’t always cover the costs of repairs – especially as inflation makes everything more expensive.
That’s why I just helped to introduce the bipartisan Rural Housing Assistance Act to double the loan amount – and help even more Iowans get the assistance they need.
Bottom Line: Our rural communities are overlooked too often – and I’ll keep fighting to put them first.