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NEWS RELEASE 1303
SW First American Place, Suite 100, Topeka,
KS 66604-4040 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 27, 2004
Contact - Harold Alford (785) 271-2701
Ground
Broken On Great Bend
Housing Project
Great Bend, KS – USDA Rural Development State Director Chuck Banks today joined future homeowners and Great Bend community leaders in breaking ground for four new houses to be built in this Barton County community. Housing Opportunities, Inc. (HOI), a non-profit agency located in Great Bend, is administering this home construction project through the Agency’s Mutual Self-Help Housing Program.
During the groundbreaking ceremonies, State Director Banks commented, “USDA Rural Development has a long history of providing critical assistance in improving rural housing opportunities in Kansas. President Bush has stressed the need for expanding the availability of affordable housing in our Nation, and the important link that individual homeownership represents to personal economic prosperity. Over the past four years, this Agency program has already resulted in over 110 new homes being built in Kansas, with nearly 40 more planned for construction in the coming year”.
As a condition of this USDA Rural Development program, prospective homeowners are required to personally supply 65% of the labor to construct their house. HOI, in partnership with the Agency, has assisted 37 families in building their homes since June of 2000. In addition to the Great Bend housing program, the Agency has ongoing mutual self-help housing efforts in Junction City and Valley Center. Overall, during the recently completed 2004 Fiscal Year, the Agency provided nearly $152 million in program funding for Kansas, directly assisting over 25,000 families and creating or saving nearly 800 rural jobs across the State.
USDA Rural Development’s mission is to deliver programs that support increasing economic opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for rural Americans. As a venture capital entity, USDA Rural Development provides equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure in rural America
For additional information regarding USDA Rural Development programs, individuals may call 785-271-2702 or log onto the state’s Agency’s website at: www.rurdev.usda.gov/ks
USDA Rural Development – Committed to the future of rural communities.
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