Advocates for housing and quality of life in rural communities face an uphill battle in gaining attention, much less funding, to fight the problem.
According to Gillian B. White, "cities aren't the only places that are lacking when it comes to adequate housing at affordable prices. In rural America, it's both prices and the terrible condition of existing homes that are problematic."
The article by White examines the unique characteristics of rural poverty, as manifested in housing, as well as the statistics that describe the problem and the program combating the program.
One particularly telling storyline from the article is of decreasing federal aid and the local response to the new normal. For instance, the USDA's 502 Direct Loan program ("a government-aid program for purchasing or rehabilitating homes in rural areas") has decreased spending from about $2.1 billion in 2010 to around $828 million in 2013. According to White, "[that] may be why many rural communities are taking the task of rural revitalization into their own hands with the help of rural-focused nonprofits that help provide everything from advocacy to actual loans. More work done by these groups is cropping up all over the country: In Appalachia Knox Housing Partners built an affordable senior-housing complex. And NeighborWorks of West Vermont successfully helped rehab hundreds of homes for increased energy efficiency, a cause that's particularly important for low-income, rural residents."
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