Affordable housing is a struggle everywhere. But rural communities face unique challenges in gaining investments and development opportunities. Stay informed with our coverage on new programs, developments and conversations.
Q&A: Community Organizing in Rural South Texas
La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), founded by César Chávez, advocates for streetlights and broadband internet in local colonias.
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Building Stability Through Resident-Owned Mobile Home ParksÂ
Manufactured housing is a popular choice in rural America. But residents face uncertainties when parks get sold to investors. Helping residents purchase parks themselves is one solution.
From Couch Surfing to Sleeping in a Car: What One Teen’s Story Says about Homelessness in Rural Texas
Georgia DeVries, an East Texas 17-year-old, shared her experience living in a car for one month last year on TikTok.
A Half-Century of Rural Housing: Report Looks at Central Role of Housing in Community Resiliency
Home ownership is more prevalent in rural areas, but the rental market can be tight, especially for lower income families. The Housing Assistance Council marks a half century of work with their latest “Taking Stock” report.
Coastal Oregon County Tackles ‘Urban Scale’ Housing Issues
Tourist-dependent Clatsop County, population 41,000, has the highest rate of homelessness in Oregon. A project to convert a hotel into housing units for healthcare workers and the unhoused is a step in the right direction, leaders say.
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Housing Prices Have Plateaued in Rural Moab Valley, but Only by a Little
The Moab housing market has cooled since the pandemic. But by some measures, it’s even less affordable.
Q&A: A Minnesota Housing Justice Group Puts a New Spin on ‘A Prairie Home Companion’
zAmya Theater Project uses theater to change the narrative of homelessness. Their latest project, “A Prairie Homeless Companion,” puts a new spin on the decades-long radio show that satirized rural Minnesota.
Q&A: Understanding the Difference Between Rural and Urban Homelessness, With Elizabeth Carpenter-Song
Homelessness in small towns can be less visible than in cities, but just as big an issue. Anthropologist Elizabeth Carpenter-Song’s new book tells the complicated reality of homelessness in rural New England.
Group Organizes around Rental Housing Issues in Northeast Kentucky
The Appalachian People’s Union wants to bring people together around shared concerns. That’s the first step in creating change, says one of its organizers.
A Case Study: Affordable Housing Dilemma of a Small Town
Politics, ideology and flawed statistics stand in the way of state funds designated to help bring in more affordable housing across Colorado. One small town is slowly working to get those obstacles out of the way.
Rising Cost of Housing and Higher Education Poses Real Problems for Rural Students
As rent prices and college costs continue to rise, some rural students are forced to delay higher education in order to work multiple jobs. What does this mean for the country’s next generation?
Report: Substandard Housing Facilities for Rural Residents Reflected in Health Outcomes
The research also found that rural American Indian and Alaska Native communities are at particularly high health risks due to low housing standards.
Q&A: Investing in Appalachia Requires Systemwide Leadership from the Local to Federal Level
Seth Long has spent more than two decades building healthier communities in East Kentucky through his nonprofit housing organization. But long-lasting change, he argues, will require strong leadership both within small communities and at the federal level.
Foster Kids in Casino Hotels? It Happened in Rural Nevada Amid Widespread Foster Home Shortages
There are 400 to 450 children in foster care at any given time in rural Nevada, and far fewer licensed foster homes for them to stay in.
Renewable Energy Meets Affordable Housing on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation
Lakota people living on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota are facing a dire energy and housing crisis. Two organizations have teamed up to address the problem.
Budget Request for More Rural Housing Is Likely to Face Opposition
The lower and upper chambers of Congress are squaring off over the federal budget for 2024. One contested item will be the president’s request for rural housing programs.
Tackling Rural America’s ‘Hidden’ Housing Crisis
Over the past two years, the rate of homelessness and housing insecurity rose faster in rural places than the country at large, but community-based organizations are in a unique position to offer solutions.
Report: Rural Homelessness Increased from 2020 To 2022
Causes of the increase include housing stock shortage, lower wages, and lack of public transit.
Commentary: The Housing Crisis Is Harming My Town
Affordable housing is increasingly hard to find in Girdwood, Alaska, where second-home real estate investors have gobbled up most of the places to live, leaving locals no option but to leave.
Finding ‘Higher Ground’: Locally-led Movement Works Toward a Just Housing Recovery in Eastern Kentucky
The urgent need for housing assistance in flood stricken Appalachian communities reveals the severe limitations of the nation’s response and support systems. Community groups are stepping up to help.
Analysis: Final 2023 Budget Maintains Rural Housing Funding at USDA and HUD
Besides support for existing programs for home-owners and renters, the legislation created a new program to improve the conditions of manufactured housing.
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