Volume 17, Issue 3

Celebrating Homeownership Month Through Advocacy

By Suzanne Anarde-Devenport, RCAC Chief Executive Officer

During the month of June, housing groups across the country celebrate homeownership through a variety of events. Given the critical impact housing has on our health and wellbeing, I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate homeownership, personally and professionally, with other rural and Indigenous homeowners across the western 13 states that RCAC serves. This year is a bit different in that the U.S. Department of Agriculture budget for both Fiscal Year 24 and upcoming Fiscal Year 25 pose a threat to rural and Indigenous communities, with cuts in both the USDA Section 502 mortgage program and Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Housing (MSH) program. These two programs are the core elements of homeownership in rural and Indigenous communities.

Dear Sher,

Dear Sher,

Was Self-Help Appendix 13 recently updated? I thought it was, but I can’t find a version that incorporates those changes.

Sincerely,
Updated or Not?

News You Can Use!

Save the date: Program Orientation/Refresher for Self-Help Housing Staff

Join us on August 20, 2024 for an interactive training geared towards helping grantee new staff working in Self-Help housing become familiar with the basic requirements and entities in the program. This is also a great training for any staff needing a refresher on program basics. We will talk about the relationships between USDA RD, the Grantee and RCAC. We’ll also cover reporting requirements, clarification of 523 and 502 funds and overall financial management of the program.

This training is FREE to all current grantees administering the 523 Self-Help Housing TA Grants and/or 502/504 USDA Loans and Grants. Specific training times to be announced.

Self-Help Housing handbooks and training guides available

The Section 502 guidebook for Self-Help has been updated and is available for your reference and use. There are also recently updated handbooks related to all aspect of the Self-Help program available on RCAC’s Self-Help Housing Resources page on the below topics:

• SH 502 Loan Guidebook – March 2024
• SHARES Handbook – 2023
• Orientation Handbook – April 2023 v2
• Acquisition and Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Handbook – August 2023 v3
• Board of Directors Governance Guide – 2023
• Construction Supervisors Handbook – August 2023 v3
• Feasibility Handbook – 2021
• Financial Management Handbook for Federally Funded Organizations – 2024
• Group Coordinator Handbook – August 2023 v3
• Individual Borrower 502 Loan Accounts – December 2023 v3
• Membership Agreement Handbook – 2023
• Application PowerPoint Slides – 2023
• Pre-construction Meeting Handbook – 2020
• Program Director Handbook – August 2023 v3
• Section 523 Technical Assistance Grant Application Handbook – April 2023 v3