Rural housing programs must now record their affordability promises on paper

The US Department of Agriculture wants to make sure that affordable rural housing stays affordable. It is requiring that all new projects in a specific program record their affordability promises as a deed restriction.

For years, some rural housing projects that received federal guarantees did not formally record their commitment to keep rents low. This meant that when properties changed hands, the new owners could sometimes raise rents without consequence. This change makes it harder for future owners to ignore the original affordability promise.