LEWISBURG, WV (WOAY) – The United States Department of Agriculture has announced that this year they’ve invested more than $10.6 million in housing loans and grants in rural West Virginia.
According to USDA Rural Development State Director Kris Warner, these grants help many homeowners throughout the state make repairs to their homes, including plenty in Southern West Virginia.
“Here in Greenbrier County, there have been six other single-family homeowners that have been able to use this program for a total of $180,000 to be able to repair, improve and modernize their homes,” Warner said.
One such homeowner is Gloria Boggs, who was awarded more than $5,000 in a loan and grant combo to make her bathroom handicap accessible. John Fullen, a loan specialist with the program, says Gloria and many other homeowners benefit from the flexibility the loans offer.
“The loan portion of the product carries a 1% interest rate in a 20 year term, so it’s very affordable. The grant portion of the product is basically a gift to the homeowner. So that could be coupled with the loan so they can do in many cases twice as much repair work to the home as they normally could,” Fullen said.
This program is designed for low-income homeowners who need to make essential updates to their homes. Gloria Boggs says that she’s extremely grateful to have been able to update her home and make her living situation more manageable.
“When they have these programs, it surely helps a lot of people. And I am thankful and blessed to have had the opportunity to go this route,” Boggs said.
This program has been around for more than 75 years. Any homeowners looking to apply for loans or grants from the USDA can apply online or contact their local rural development offices.
