December 16, 2019 | Volume 13, Issue 1

RCAC CEO update

I am excited to be at RCAC and a part of the self-help network. Mutual Self-Help Housing has always been one of my favorite programs. I love everything about it and the impact it has on families, neighborhoods and communities.

Stan and I recently returned from the National Rural Housing Coalition’s winter meeting. The situation for this fiscal year’s funding is unclear. Read more

Self-help housing where it’s least expected

Prior to working as a general contractor on Bainbridge Island since 1986, Ted Francis worked in construction for 22 years in Alaska. He knows his way around a jobsite. So, how did Ted find himself building a home with the self-help housing program all these years later, now in his 70s?

In 2008, as the housing market collapsed, Ted’s world began to drastically change. Read more

Dear Sher

I am working with an applicant who is very low-income, purchasing a very (documented) energy efficient home and needs both the energy ratio increase and 38-year term to ratio qualify for enough loan funds. They’ve had the same job for three years, have great credit, no payment shock or any other areas of concern/risk. It has been suggested that it’s never okay to use the 38-year term in combination with the energy ratio increase. Read more

USDA Proposed Rule comments being accepted – single family housing direct programs

On Nov. 25, 2019, a Proposed Rule was published in the Federal Register to seek comments on proposed changes that would increase program flexibility, allow more borrowers to access affordable loans, better align single family housing direct programs with best practices, and enable the programs to be more responsive to economic conditions and trends. Comments are due on or before Jan. 24, 2020. Read more

REGISTER NOW—2020 National Self-Help Housing Conference

Register now for the 2020 National Self-Help Housing Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Feb. 4 – 6, 2020. This will be a great opportunity for self-help grantees to learn and network with other grantees and USDA RD. There will be no registration fee this year. We hope you come to the conference for all of the learning and networking … but New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment and visiting Albuquerque allows you to experience the real Southwest too! Details and registration