Housing Initiative Partner of the Year

Hattiesburg - Mississippi's USDA Rural Housing office received this year's housing initiative partner of the year award from USM’s institute for disability studies. Cassie Hicks told me what USDA Rural Housing is all about.

"USDA is one of our lending partners. That means basically we have partners that work with us on different levels at the institute. They are one of our partners that help us house persons through home-ownership of special needs and they also have rural housing opportunities that afford them lower price housing payments."

USDA Rural Housing have participated with IDS' home of your own program since 2012 and have provided over $21 million of funds for HOYO homeowners to obtain home-ownership.

"USDA has a product loan program that works with that population to make sure their home payment is going to be affordable for a 33 year period of time."

USDA Rural Housing has housed over 600 people.