Rural Housing Initiative

Rural Housing Initiative: A Collaborative Effort

IDENTIFYING A PROBLEM

Virtually everyone agrees that home ownership is essential to a community’s growth and viability.  Many communities across Oklahoma have abandoned or city owned lots due do nuisance abatement or dilapidated structures. The question becomes how can we help spur new housing in small rural towns that have not seen any new construction for many years? 

SOLUTIONS

The Rural Housing Initiative is a collaborative effort between the Oklahoma Home Builders Association (OkHBA), the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML), and the Lending Company to utilize the USDA’s 502 guaranteed loan program.  Although the USDA 502 program has been available for many years, even the USDA will admit that it has struggled to make it viable. The Rural Housing Initiative is a way to make the program work and make funding for home builds available to communities and citizens that need access to lending (Qualifying OK income 1-4 family household $103,500. Five or more family household $136,600).

More information on the loan program can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-guaranteed-loan-program

OkHBA will bring the strength of its association to locate and qualify builders to participate in this program.  The builders, via the Association’s programs, will have general liability and workers compensation insurance and an extended warranty through one of the Association’s affinity partnerships.  The OkHBA will provide stamped architectural plans for homeowners from which to choose to lower costs on home buyers and streamline the process for builders, saving time and money.

OML will work with the various communities in finding available marketable lots and develop a pool for potential buyers and builders to choose.  They will use the strength of their association to help local community leadership in understanding the program and making it available to their citizens. 

The Board of Directors of OkHBA and OML has authorized this collaborative effort. 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Municipal governments can identify lots that can be available to the program. They will identify the cost associated with purchasing the lot and provide relevant details required for the pool listing. OML will assemble those listing and make them available for home buyers and builders. The information needed to have your lot info shared on the pool site can be found at the link below. The OkHBA will provide the listing of builders that choose to participate.

Helpful Links:

Oklahoma Municipal League: https://www.oml.org/rural-housing

SFHGLP Lending Partner Webpage: https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/sfh-guaranteed-lender

SFHGLP Webpage: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-guaranteed-loan-program

USDA LINC Training and Resource Library:  https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/lenders/usda-linc-training-resource-library