Rural housing grants get easier to use, removing old rules that blocked new projects

The US Department of Agriculture wants to update its program that helps low-income rural residents build their own homes. It plans to remove old rules that made it hard for the agency to adapt to changing housing markets and local needs.

This program helps rural families build homes themselves, often in groups, which lowers costs. The old rules were written for a different time and made it difficult to fund projects that didn't fit a narrow mold. This change means the agency can be more flexible, potentially allowing more self-help housing projects to get off the ground in areas that need them most.