WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate’s Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee, issued a request for input from stakeholders on Rural Housing Service programs.
Last month, the Subcommittee held a hearing to review the Rural Housing Service, with Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small as the witness. The hearing was the first time a U.S. Department of Agriculture official had testified before the Senate Banking and Housing Committee in more than a decade. Smith and Rounds’ hearing focused on ways to improve the agency’s rural housing programs. The Senators are now requesting proposals from rural housing residents, housing advocates, community leaders, development experts, and other stakeholders.
“Without access to housing nothing else in your life works. Not your job, your health, your education or your family,” said Smith. “Sen. Rounds and I intend to work together to update and strengthen Rural Housing Service programs to meet the needs of small towns and rural places, and to support vibrant rural communities in Minnesota across the country.”
“Rural communities face unique challenges when trying to develop affordable housing, and the Rural Housing Service has played an integral role in making affordable homeownership a reality for many South Dakotans,” said Rounds. “I look forward to working with Senator Smith to improve, streamline and modernize the Rural Housing Service programs to better serve rural communities.”
Interested parties can submit their proposals directly to Rural_housing@smith.senate.gov by July 8th.
Any submission may be made public, so submitters should not include confidential or business sensitive information. Submissions should be included the body of an email or as a .pdf file, with a clear name of the author, any affiliated organization, and appropriate contact information.
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