Communities should determine what they want to be "when they grow up" and focus on branding themselves based upon their attributes, according to Nick Walters, state director for USDA Rural Development.
"Think of the end in mind - branding," he told the Council of Government on April 18. "Think about what you want to be 10 years from now."
Walters, responding to a question about improving old streets and putting in a housing development, also said, "You can control what you want your community to be." He pointed out that his agency has home site development funds that can be loaned to cities to make properties "pad ready."
Walters touted the Single Family Housing Loan Programs that provide direct loans to eligible families for construction or purchase of homes. The agency also provides guaranteed housing loans, offering lenders a 90 percent guarantee against default. Eligibility is based on income, and no down payment or mortgage insurance payment is required.
Rural Development, the largest single-family home lender, could help local officials promote a "housing fair" that would provide basic information about home ownership, according to Walters.
"It goes directly to community development," he said.
Other services mentioned included grants and loans to cities and counties to improve rural community facilities for health care, public safety and public services. The agency also has funds available to expand access to high-speed Internet service, which Walters said will be a great equalizer for rural communities.
On the Web: www.rurdev.usda.gov.
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