An Examination of Rural Housing Development Programs, Issues and Strategies
In response to a request by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the Purdue Center for Regional Development was asked to take a brief examination of national, state, and local housing programs and/or policies that are intended to improve the availability and quality of rural housing. This includes programs that promote the growth of market-rate housing – residential and rental housing that are priced at current market rates and are not subsidized in any way. As such, the first portion of this report briefly showcases a mix of federal housing programs and policies, especially those that are intended to address housing issues in rural areas of the U.S.
It also highlights state housing programs/policies found in the nation’s 50 states, information that can be of value to state and local leaders and organizations as they seek to assess innovative housing development programs being implemented in various states. In the final section of Part A, a review is undertaken of a limited number of programs that have been enacted by a small number of city and county governments that are designed to encourage the expansion of market-rate housing, particularly in areas experiencing housing shortages.