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Outline of Need:
Lifelong Nome, Alaska resident and mother Kathy Ezukameow and her four young children were living in rental housing and wanted a home of their own.
How Rural Development Helped:
Working with a local housing authority, the Nome Eskimo Community, Rural Development provided her with a direct leveraged homeownership loan (learn more about this program), enabling her to purchase a quality home for her and her children.
The Results:
Ms. Ezukameow and her four children have settled into a three-bedroom home, thanks to the joint efforts of the Nome Eskimo Community and USDA Rural Development.
“Last summer, I went to my Native Corporation office to find out what sort of funding for housing was available,” said Ms. Ezukameow. “They suggested I take a class about home buying. At about the same time I learned about the housing programs offered by USDA Rural Development.” At the time, Ms. Ezukameow and her children were living in a cramped two bedroom apartment. “We found a house over the summer and moved into it in September. The Nome Eskimo Community helped with the down payment and closing costs, and Rural Development made the home loan.” She said the process was fast and easy. “Rural Development staff in Nome were great to work with. I started the (loan) process with Area Manager Leo Rasmussen and with Randy Morton in July, and they moved quickly.”
The home is fully up to code, and it's a comfortable place to raise a family. Ms. Ezukameow is a dental assistant with the Norton Sound Health Corporation and travels frequently to rural communities to provide dental care. She says the house is perfect for her family. “It's nice to know that my kids have a safe place to live. We have a huge living room and compared to my old place, it's like a gymnasium.”
Pictured above: New homeowner Kathy Ezukameow with her four children. Left to right: Nicolas, age 3; Pamela, 9; Tamaira, 7; and Katelyn, 2.
(February 2005)
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