Rural Voices Archives

Each issue of HAC’s Rural Voices magazine focuses on a single topic important to rural communities, with subjects ranging from housing for older rural residents to the future of housing finance to citizen-led design. Local rural housing professionals from around the country write most of the articles, sharing their expertise, best practices, and even the mistakes they’ve learned from. To hear when a new issue of the magazine is published, sign up for HAC’s email list or watch for announcements in the HAC News and on social media.

Rural Voices: Welfare Reform Impacts Rural Housing

April 15, 1997/in Rural Voices

The Spring 1997 issue of Rural Voices provides an overview of the 1996 federal Welfare Reform Act and a summary of ways in which it may affect rural housing conditions.

This issue of Rural Voices focuses on welfare reform, one of the most important public policy issues of the 1990s. We hope to begin a conversation here about how welfare reform is affecting housing for low-income people in rural areas nationwide. This issue provides an overview of the 1996 federal Welfare Reform Act and a summary of ways in which it may affect rural housing conditions; an examination of welfare reform s impact on women-headed households, who as a group are the poorest category of households and the most likely to be affected; a description of some results of changes in Georgias state welfare program; and a look at how immigration reform affects Rural Housing Service programs.

In future issues we expect to include articles about welfare reform in other specific areas of the countty. We welcome contributions from readers about the impact welfare reform is having on rural housing conditions in your areas. The current issue of Rural Voices also recognizes the loss of an eloquent voice for rural housing and community development. George W. Rucker died in May after a long camer in rural research.

Winter 1996/7 issue of Rural Voices Magazine - Cover

Rural Voices: Home Loan Bank Financing for Rural Housing

February 1, 1997/in Rural Voices

The Winter 1996-97 issue of Rural Voices highlights two important topics: how the Federal Home Loan Bank System can help in the development of affordable rural housing, and local and national efforts to address housing needs in Indian Country.

Our cover stoty explains the basics of the FHLBanks’ Affordable Housing Program and Community Investment Program, with examples of how both have been used in rural areas. Both can provide long-tmm financing for housing development at below-market rates. An interview with Bruce Morrison examines the AHP and CIP from a slightly different angle. Morrison, the Chairman of the Federal Housing Finance Board, which oversees the FHLBank System, discusses his perspective on the future of the System and of the banking industry overall.

Native American housing issues are addressed in two pieces as well. First, the director of the Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority in Alaska describes how her agency modified an existing housing program to better meet the needs of Native Alaskans. Changes expected nationwide as a result of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Detetmination Act of I996 are summarized in our “View from Washington” department.

This issue also explores a successful housing development effort in a small town in Iowa. In addition, we have included a summmy of HAC’s National Rural Housing Conforence, held in December 1996, and providing, among many other things, an opportunity to celebrate HAC’s 25th anniversary.

Rural Voices: New Infrastructure Funds for Rural Housing Developers

September 15, 1996/in Rural Voices

Developing land for affordable housing is not easy. Rising land and infrastructure costs make it difficult for developers to create homeownership opportunities for families. Now, in a time of dwindling resources, a new program has been created to purchase and develop sites for self-help housing developers and the families they serve. The Self- Help Homeowners hip Opportunity Program, created by the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act of 1996, opens the door to more funds for site development.

Rural Voices: Self-Help Housing

July 15, 1996/in Rural Voices

In the Summer 1996 issue of Rural Voices, Maureen Kennedy, Administrator of the Rural Housing Service, spotlights RHS’s efforts to increase homeownership through their housing programs, and examines the partnerships organizations have farmed to improve homeownership rates.

Rural Voices: Robie’s House

March 15, 1996/in Rural Voices

In the title article, “Robie’s House,” the Spring 1996 issue of Rural Voices describes one approach to building homes affordably. In addition this issue celebrates the accomplishments of rural programs in both Texas and Vermont. We also highlight the efforts of our rural housing workshop partnet; the Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP), to empower communities and improve infrasftructure. Finally, we have some words to say about the new rules goveming the Community Reinvestment Act and some of the changes affecting the Rural Housing Service’s Section 502 Homeownership program.

Rural Voices: 25 Years: A Foundation for the Future

December 15, 1995/in Rural Voices

The cover story reviews HAC’s twenty-five year commitment to rural housing and how issues facing the development of affordable housing have been managed. We look at the accomplishments and improvements that have been made; however, we emphasize that all the good work and projects completed over the years have not gotten us to the final stages of solving affordable rural housing dilemmas. Nonetheless, the numerous people who have worked in this field have laid the foundation for a more productive future.

This issue also takes a good look at how some innovative people in Texas are trying to solve the problems that occur in colonias along the U.S/Mexican border; how Native American loan packagers help build links between Indian reservations and federal monies; and how rural housing development’s future is in line with the development of the information superhighway.

Migrant Workers Struggle for Housing - Vol. 1, Issue 1

Rural Voices: Migrant Workers Struggle for Housing

September 15, 1995/in Rural Voices

The first issue of Rural Voices highlights the struggles of farmworkers to find decent, affordbale housing in rural America. The magazine also features stories about empowering people through self-help housing and the Government’s direct lending programs.