PRESS RELEASE

United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development
1303 SW First American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040
VOICE (785) 271-2700, FAX (785) 271-2708, TTY (785) 271-2767, WEB www.rurdev.usda.gov/ks

For Immediate Release - October 18, 2002

Contact- Harold Alford (785) 271-2702

Kansas Rural Development To Improve Housing Opportunities

October 18, 2002 - Topeka, KS. – Kansas Rural Development State Director Chuck Banks today reaffirmed USDA Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman's announcement earlier this week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking steps to help achieve President Bush's goal to helping 5.5 million minority families attain the dream of homeownership by 2010.

State Director Chuck Banks echoed Secretary Veneman's commitment that homeownership strengthens our rural communities and contributes to the overall quality of life for rural families. "USDA works with community organizations, lenders, and individual residents to provide opportunities for our minority community and those who seek the dream of homeownership," said Banks.

President Bush outlined his housing agenda in June to help dismantle the barriers to homeownership by providing down payment assistance, increasing the supply of affordable homes, increasing support for self-help homeownership programs, and simplifying the home buying process as well as increasing education.

"At USDA, we are proud of our long history in providing housing in rural America," said Veneman. Over the past 50 years, USDA has invested over $90 billion to assist over 3 million families with a multitude of housing needs."

Veneman said that USDA is working to double the number of participants in its Self-help Housing Program by 2010, with a special emphasis on minority ownership. Banks said Kansas' Self-help Program is active in three communities: Valley Center, Great Bend and Junction City. Kansas Rural Development's Self-help Program has more than doubled in 2002 as compared to 2001. Banks
anticipates the number of homes built to increase again in 2003.

In 2002, over 18 percent of the Kansas USDA's single-family direct homeownership loans were provided to Kansas's 7 percent rural minority population. Over 50% of Kansas' loans are made to female head of households.

USDA Rural Development serves as the lead federal entity for rural development needs and administers financial and technical assistance through three agencies: Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service and Rural Utilities Service. Further information on USDA Rural Development can be obtained by contacting any USDA Service Center or by visiting USDA's web site
at http://www.usda.gov