South Dakota Rural Development State Director Elsie M. Meeks addressed a crowd of nearly 500 attendees at the 37th Annual National American Indian Council Convention & Trade Show in Phoenix, Arizona last week. This year’s theme was “Connect to the Past, Commit to the Future.”
Meeks, an Oglala Sioux Tribal Member, highlighted Rural Development’s programs and provided stats on the opportunities provided to American Indian/Alaska Native families on a national scale since the year 2000. She noted that the Single Family Housing Direct Program has helped over 2,600 Native families become homeowners during that time and that the USDA Guaranteed program has helped an additional 3,700 families achieve their homeownership dreams. In addition the USDA Home Repair program has funded home repairs for over 3,000 Native families. Read more »
Barbara Beard-Hinton, Assistant to the State Director for
Rural Development in North Carolina, Mel Ellis, Director, Single Family Housing and Rich Davis, Acting Deputy Administrator
, Single Family Housing sponsored a
Self Help Housing Listening Forum at the McKimmon Conference Center at North Carolina State University in Raleigh on March 12.
There were 42 persons in attendance. The purpose of the forum was to create new ideas and promote the USDA Self Help Housing Program. The program, which is very popular, allows families to work together under the direction of a contractor to build their own homes. The process often takes a year and, upon completion, the work participants do on their houses becomes their “sweat equity.”
The listening forum was moderated by Scott Farmer, Director of Rental Investment, NC
Housing Finance Agency. North Carolina currently has five active grantees. Four of the five grantees were in attendance and provided valuable input based on their experience with the Self Help program.
Written by Delane Johnson, Public Information Specialist
Left to Right: Mel Ellis, Director Single Family Housing, USDA Rural Development NC, Rich Davis, Acting Deputy Administrator, USDA Single Family Housing, Washington, D.C.
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