Our Work

Jennifer Emmerling/ There Is More Work To Be Done

What HAC Does

HAC provides lending, technical assistance and training, policy formulation, and research and information services to assist community-based organizations and policymakers who are working daily to improve life in rural communities across the United States.

Access to Capital Should Not Depend on Geography

HAC provides capital for development and preservation of rural affordable housing.
Lending

USDA RD/Flickr Creative Commons

Building Rural Capacity

HAC focuses on developing rural leaders and nonprofit housing development organizations to enrich local capacities so that they are able to assist, support, and sustain their own communities.
Training and Technical Assistance

Informing Strategies and Solutions for Rural America

Through data driven strategies, HAC provides research, data, and information to enable solutions for rural communities across the nation.
Research and Information

Rural Policy and Practice

Rural people and rural communities shoul d have a voice at the table. For 50 years, the Housing Assistance Council has been that voice for the poorest of the poor in the most rural places. Our deeply rooted work drives and informs our policy focus.
Rural Policy
“You should never be too prideful to ask for assistance …” said Olivia Hernandez (left), on Monday, October 31, 2011, in the San Antonio Food Bank (SAFB) Outreach Office, when asked about what others should keep in mind when faced with a crisis such as the one Cesar Trevino (center), daughter Lana (1 yr. old) and she did the prior evening, when a distant apartment unit caught fire, spreading smoke and flames throughout the building, eventually consuming their Texas apartment as well. Left with the clothes they are wearing they were referred to the San Antonio Food Bank where they sat down with Outreach Specialist Seth Villalobos (right) who listened to what happened to them and what their immediate needs were. Villalobos talked about the programs that could address their needs, and benefits that could help them rebuild their lives. During this initial visit, they applied for Children’s Medicaid and Women, Infants & Children (WIC) benefits, later they were briefed about the United States Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Federally funded, state administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Benefits (TANF) as well as other Federal and State programs. At the end of their meeting Hernandez said, “It was super-easy, very friendly staff.” And Trevino added, “great service.” Later that day, Villalobos made a personal trip to this family’s temporary home to deliver a box of groceries to make their first evening a little easier. In the box were provisions from the USDA and other contributors to SAFB.
San Antonio Food Bank is a non-profit organization that serves as a clearinghouse by receiving and storing truckloads of donated food, produce, and other grocery. SAFB distribute these items to over 500 service agencies that help people in need. 
“We couldn’t do what we do without our partnership with USDA’” said President and CEO Eric Cooper. SAFB serves 16 counties in Southwest Texas and states, “Nearly one out of every four children and one out of every five adults in Southwest Texas lives in poverty and has difficulty meeting basic nutritional needs.” According to SAFB, sixty-five percent of the people requesting emergency food have children. USDA photo by Lance Cheung
https://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ https://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/tefap/

ACCESS TO CAPITAL SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON GEOGRAPHY

HAC provides capital for development and preservation of rural affordable housing.
BUILDING RURAL CAPACITY

BUILDING RURAL CAPACITY

HAC focuses on developing rural leaders and nonprofit housing development organizations to enrich local capacities so that they are able to assist, support, and sustain their own communities.

INFORMING STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS FOR RURAL AMERICA

Through data driven strategies, HAC provides research, data, and information to enable solutions for rural communities across the nation.
RURAL POLICY AND PRACTICE

RURAL POLICY AND PRACTICE

Rural people and rural communities shoul d have a voice at the table. For 50 years, the Housing Assistance Council has been that voice for the poorest of the poor in the most rural places. Our deeply rooted work drives and informs our policy focus.

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Link to: Impact

50 Years for Rural America

Over 50 years HAC has worked in every U.S. state and the territories. Learn more about what our work means for rural communities.

Board Portal

Housing Assistance Council   |  1828 L Street. N.W., Suite 505, Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 842-8600  |  (202) 347-3441  |  hac@ruralhome.org

HAC is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.