Lincoln, Pryor Announce Funds to Help Low-Income Families Build Homes in Crawford, Sebastian Counties
Washington, DC – July 9, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor today announced that Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council, Inc. will receive a $312,500 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to help low-income families build their own homes.
Over the next two years, funds will allow 25 low-income families in Crawford and Sebastian Counties to build their homes on land that they have purchased. These families will participate in 65 percent of the construction, helping with tasks such as painting and caulking. Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council will use the grant to oversee construction. They will also work to help the families obtain USDA rural development loans that will help pay for the land and costs related to construction. In addition, all homes constructed under this program will be required to meet energy efficiency standards.
Families will save about $12,000 on their homes by participating in USDA’s Self Help Housing Technical Assistance program.
“I am pleased that low-income families in Crawford and Sebastian Counties will be able to access much needed resources that will allow them to become homeowners,” Lincoln said. “Owning a home is an immensely gratifying experience, and for these 25 families, the experience will be enhanced as they participate in their home’s construction. I will continue to fight for funding to benefit Arkansas’s hardworking families and to support stable and healthy communities throughout our state.”
“A secure, stable home provides a strong foundation for families,” Pryor said. “These funds will help families in Crawford and Sebastian counties achieve their dream of homeownership while also strengthening local communities.”
“This program helps hardworking citizens of Arkansas build their own home,” said Karen Phillips, Homeownership Center Director for the Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council. “The homes are high quality, Energy Star Certified, with payments that are affordable. Families have equity in their home as soon as they move in because of the work they put into the home. I have seen this program help families to obtain decent, high quality housing that they would have never thought was possible. With this funding, 25 more families will be able to have affordable homeownership in a home they helped to build. The sense of accomplishment the families feel is amazing.”
Contact:
Lincoln, Marni Goldberg, 202-224-4843
Pryor, Michael Teague, 501-324-6336
