{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://dondavis.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-davis-and-nunn-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-address-rural", "Congressmen Davis and Nunn Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address Rural Housing Needs", "2024-09-27", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "NC", "Donald G. Davis", "D000230", "dondavis.house.gov", "dondavis", "https://dondavis.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Don Davis (NC-01) and Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03) introduced H.R. 9816, the Rural Housing Assistance Act. The bipartisan legislation improves the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) Sec. 504 Home Repair program, also known as \u201cSingle Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants,\u201d by increasing the grant and loan amount for the program. The legislation is endorsed by the Housing Assistance Council (HAC).\n\n\u201cMaking much-needed repairs and improvements to aging homes in rural communities can be too costly, especially for low-income homeowners and older adults on a fixed income,\u201d said Congressman Don Davis. \u201cBy increasing the grant and loan amounts for the Sec. 504 Home Repair program, Congress can enhance the quality of life, remove health and safety hazards, and work to maintain the housing inventory in eastern North Carolina and rural America.\u201d\n\nFor North Carolina\u2019s First Congressional District in Fiscal Year 2024, the Sec. 504 program has provided forty-eight grants and loans totaling over $490,000. The counties supported by the Sec. 504 Program are Bertie, Chowan, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Nash, Northampton, Perquimans, Vance, and Warren counties.\n\n\u201cAs prices continue to skyrocket, repairing a home is extraordinarily expensive,\u201d said Congressman Nunn. \u201cHomes in rural communities are often older and need repair to keep them inhabitable. Unfortunately, in rural Iowa, more than 10% of the population lives in poverty \u2013 and can\u2019t always afford to make necessary repairs or updates to a home. By doubling the loan assistance from USDA, we can give greater assistance to those who need it most.\u201d\n\n\"Homes in rural communities are disproportionately substandard, aging, and in need of repairs to keep them in the housing stock into the future. But the owners of these homes, who are often seniors on low or fixed incomes, struggle to afford needed repairs,\" said Jonathan Harwitz, Director of Public Policy at the Housing Assistance Council. \"We applaud Rep. Davis and Rep. Nunn for their bipartisan work to improve the Section 504 program at USDA, which is a critical tool for home repair in rural places. Their bill would make the Section 504 program more impactful and easier to access for homeowners in need of home repair financing.\"\n\nHAC\u2019s mission is to improve housing conditions for the rural poor, with an emphasis on the poorest of the poor in the most rural places. HAC provides lending, technical assistance and training, policy formulation, and research and information services to assist community-based organizations and policymakers who are working daily to improve life in rural communities across the United States.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nSpecifically, the Rural Housing Assistance Act will:\n\nDouble the maximum grant a household can receive from $10,000 to $20,000.\n\nDouble the maximum loan a household can receive from $40,000 to $80,000.\n\nIncrease the promissory note requirement to $15,000.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://dondavis.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-davis-and-nunn-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-address-rural"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6455159746110439, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}