Rural Research Briefs
Shawn Poynter / There Is More Work To Be Done
Shawn Poynter / There Is More Work To Be Done
An Update on Maturing Mortgages in USDA’s Section 515 Rural Rental Housing Program
Rural America is Losing Affordable Rental Housing at an Alarming Rate
USDA’s Section 515 Rural Rental Housing properties are an important resource for many rural households and communities. But the availability of these homes is declining. In 2016, USDA presented estimates of the date when properties would leave their portfolio and potentially lose affordability and some renter protections. HAC examined changes in USDA’s Section 515 portfolio during the past five-year period. The analysis identified 921 Section 515 properties that left the portfolio between 2016 and July 2021 – nearly three times the original USDA projection for maturing mortgages during the five-year period. The ramifications of this accelerated loss of affordable rural rental housing are important as the number of properties expected to leave USDA’s portfolio will grow exponentially in the coming decades.
Appendix 1: List of properties that have left the program.
