WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced new federal housing resources available to residents in Ashtabula County as part of the 2014 Farm Bill implementation. Changes to the “rural area definition” used by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will expand eligibility for rural housing programs for residents in northeast Ohio.
“It can often be difficult for rural communities to fully fund critical housing or infrastructure projects,” Brown said. “The 2014 Farm Bill made important changes in the way USDA determines eligibility for rural housing programs. With this new change definition change, more residents in Ashtabula will now have access to affordable homeownership programs through the USDA.”
According to USDA Rural Development in Ohio the increased eligibility will affect Rural Housing Services (RHS), Single Family Housing (SFH), and Multi-Family Housing (MFH) programs. In 2013, USDA Rural Development in Ohio invested nearly $585 million in rural housing programs throughout the state. These funds, provided through loan, grant, and loan guarantee programs, help provide homeownership opportunities to mostly low- and moderate-income rural families by providing financial resources for apartments, single-family homes, or other housing needs. Ohioans interested in additional information are encouraged to contact the Massillon area office of USDA Rural Development at 330-830-7700.
Brown is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years. In 2014, he was part of the Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee that successfully negotiating a five-year farm bill that had been stalled for more than three years.
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