States Struggle with Poverty Among Hispanics in Rural Areas

According to research from the Pew Charitable Trust, Hispanic babies born in rural enclaves are more likely to be impoverished and have more limited access to federal and state assistance programs than those in the city.

Hispanic babies born in rural enclaves are more likely to be impoverished than those in the city. And it’s harder for them to receive help from federal and state programs, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Consistent health care also is hard to come by, particularly if their parents are undocumented and are fearful of being discovered and deported—even though the children are U.S. citizens.

USDA Mobile Home Mortgages in Vermont

New, long-term USDA affordable mortgages available for mobile home park residents in Vermont. The pilot mortgage program is the first of its kind for residents of mobile home parks, where home buyers face high interest rates and short loan terms.

Think California's housing crisis is tough in LA? Try Coachella.

Think California’s housing crisis is tough in LA? Try Coachella. While the working poor in urban parts of Southern California crowded into garage apartments, the rural working poor have increasingly turned to trailer parks.

Supreme Court Upholds 'Disparate Impact'

The Supreme Court upholds ‘Disparate Impact’ in cases alleging fair-lending discrimination. The court ruled 5-4 that a Fair Housing Act claim may be based on disproportionately adverse impact on minorities even where there is no discriminatory intent.

Veterans Choice Program Google Hangout Announcement

On Thursday, June 25 at 2:30 EST the Veterans Choice Program Google Hangout will be live streamed on YouTube. Veterans can leave questions on this blog post in advance of the event. For additional information on the Choice Program, click here.

State of the Nation's Housing Webcast – 2015

The State of the Nation’s Housing 2015 will be released by live webcast on Wednesday, June 24 at Noon (Eastern). The webcast will feature a panel discussion and viewers will be able to tweet questions using the hashtag #harvardhousingreport.

RHS amends regulation on Multifamily Housing loans

The USDA Rurall Housing Service published a final rule related to multifamily housing loans. A summary of the rule appears below. For complete details, read the Federal Register.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or ‘‘Agency’’) is amending its regulation to change the requirements of the reserve account for direct Multifamily Housing (MFH) loans. The intended effect of this action is to address the reserve account requirement of the Agency to countersign with the borrower when a Section 538 guaranteed loan is involved, and to also clarify that reserve account funds cannot be used to pay for fees associated with the Section 538 guaranteed loan program.

Washington Post Examines Race and Housing Policy

The Washington Post’s Emily Badger examines “How Section 8 became a ‘racial slur’” through a brief a history of subsidized housing policies, and how they intersect with race and racial stigma in the United States.

Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2014

The Federal Reserve Board recently published a new Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2014. The report provides a snapshot of the financial and economic well-being of U.S. households and the issues they face.

Rural Job Loss Returns

Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that nonmetro counties lost 330,000 jobs from January 2014 to January 2015, according to The Daily Yonder. Year-to-year changes in rural employment consistently showed improvements in 2014.