Congressmen Davis and Nunn Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address Rural Housing Needs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Don Davis (NC-01) and Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03) introduced H.R. 9816, the Rural Housing Assistance Act. The bipartisan legislation improves the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Sec. 504 Home Repair program, also known as “Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants,” by increasing the grant and loan amount for the program. The legislation is endorsed by the Housing Assistance Council (HAC).

“Making much-needed repairs and improvements to aging homes in rural communities can be too costly, especially for low-income homeowners and older adults on a fixed income,” said Congressman Don Davis. “By increasing the grant and loan amounts for the Sec. 504 Home Repair program, Congress can enhance the quality of life, remove health and safety hazards, and work to maintain the housing inventory in eastern North Carolina and rural America.”

For North Carolina’s First Congressional District in Fiscal Year 2024, the Sec. 504 program has provided forty-eight grants and loans totaling over $490,000. The counties supported by the Sec. 504 Program are Bertie, Chowan, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Nash, Northampton, Perquimans, Vance, and Warren counties.

“As prices continue to skyrocket, repairing a home is extraordinarily expensive,” said Congressman Nunn. “Homes in rural communities are often older and need repair to keep them inhabitable. Unfortunately, in rural Iowa, more than 10% of the population lives in poverty – and can’t always afford to make necessary repairs or updates to a home. By doubling the loan assistance from USDA, we can give greater assistance to those who need it most.”

"Homes in rural communities are disproportionately substandard, aging, and in need of repairs to keep them in the housing stock into the future. But the owners of these homes, who are often seniors on low or fixed incomes, struggle to afford needed repairs," said Jonathan Harwitz, Director of Public Policy at the Housing Assistance Council. "We applaud Rep. Davis and Rep. Nunn for their bipartisan work to improve the Section 504 program at USDA, which is a critical tool for home repair in rural places. Their bill would make the Section 504 program more impactful and easier to access for homeowners in need of home repair financing."

HAC’s mission is to improve housing conditions for the rural poor, with an emphasis on the poorest of the poor in the most rural places. HAC provides lending, technical assistance and training, policy formulation, and research and information services to assist community-based organizations and policymakers who are working daily to improve life in rural communities across the United States.

BACKGROUND

Specifically, the Rural Housing Assistance Act will:

• Double the maximum grant a household can receive from $10,000 to $20,000.
• Double the maximum loan a household can receive from $40,000 to $80,000.
• Increase the promissory note requirement to $15,000.

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