Rural Community Development Initiative

by: Iola Bonggay

The United States Office of Rural Development is an agency that is operating within the United States Department of Agriculture.

The Office of Rural Development is the government's main agency that is primarily responsible for developing programs and approaches that are designed to aid in the improvement of the country's economy and the people's quality of life in rural areas.

For the past couple of years, the Office of Rural Development has been running the Rural Community Development Initiative project wherein they aim to establish the capacity and ability of private, nonprofit community-based housing and community development groups and organizations, as well as low-income rural communities to enhance their housing, community facilities, and also their economic and community developments projects in certain rural areas.

The Rural Community Development Initiative can be awarded to legally qualified private, public, and tribal groups or organizations that have the experience and capability of providing training and technical assistance to nonprofit community-based housing and community development organizations, as well as low income rural communities.

The activities that are included in the project can include:

a) Providing training to intended grant beneficiaries regarding conducting programs on home-ownership education.

b) Providing training to intended grant beneficiaries regarding programs for minority business entrepreneurs.

c) Providing training and technical assistance to intended grant beneficiaries on how to effective prepare strategic plans.

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Rural Community Development Initiative
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About The Author Iola Bonggay is an editor of TopGovernmentGrants.com one the the most comprehensive Websites offering information on government grants and federal government programs. She also maintains Websites providing resources on environmental grants and grants for youth programs.

Additional Resources

category - Home Buying Programs

First Time Homebuyer Programs in Georgia
In July 1996, the Governor and General Assembly made a vital decision to join together the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority (GHFA) with the Department of Community Affairs.

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California Housing Finance Agency
The California Housing Finance Agency, otherwise known as CalHFA, is an independent, self-supporting agency that was chartered to as the State's affordable housing bank to make low interest rate loans through the sale of tax-exempt bonds; with these bonds being repaid by revenues generated through mortgage loans, instead of taxpayer dollars.

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California Homebuyer's Downpayment Assistance Program for First Time Home Buyers
The California Homebuyer's Downpayment Assistance Program is a deferred payment junior loan that can be used in conjunction with other CalHFA housing programs. It provides borrowers with funds amounting to 3% of the actual value of the property that they wish to inquire in order to cover the downpayment costs.

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Department of Housing and Urban Development's Dollar Homes Program
The Dollar Homes Program revolves around the process of selling single family homes for a superbly reasonable price of $1 (plus closing cost) to low-to-moderate income families, granted that these houses have been acquired through foreclosure by the Federal Housing Administration, and have already been actively marketed for at least six months and still remained unsold after that certain period of time.

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