West Sacramento, Calif. — Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) has received $13.67 million over five years in U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) funding through the USDA RD Mutual Self-Help Housing Program to support single-family home construction and to help prepare rural residents for homeownership.

The contract will support RCAC’s work with nonprofit organizations, housing authorities and tribal housing authorities to develop affordable housing in the rural West. For more than 30 years, RCAC has been the western region technical and management assistance contractor for the USDA RD Mutual Self-Help Housing Program. RCAC supports 49 affordable housing groups (including housing authorities and two Native American Tribes) in 11 states, the Marshall Islands and Guam.

“We are proud of the work accomplished by Western self-help grantees,” said RCAC CEO Stanley Keasling, “and have been pleased to be a part of their success in the past. We look forward to continuing this work for another five years.”

Under this program, homeowners help build each other’s homes to earn sweat equity, which reduces their homes’ purchase price. In fiscal year 2017, RCAC assisted 37 self-help housing agencies to secure $85.8 million to build or rehabilitate 572 self-help homes. In addition, grantees are helping individual homeowners rehabilitate their homes. Over five years, 2013 – 2017, RCAC supported the production of more than 3,000 self-help homes for low-income rural families.

Founded in 1978, RCAC provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions. RCAC serves rural communities in 13 western states and the Pacific islands. RCAC provides a broad range of community and economic development services and lending to support local efforts. To find out more about RCAC visit www.rcac.org.

Contact: Julia Helmreich
Director, Communications, Development & Events
(916) 447-9832 ext. 1008
jhelmreich@rcac.org