Section Highlights

National Rural Membership Conference

Rural Symposium video still

Highlights of the 2010 National Rural Membership Conference: Investing in Change - Leveraging Assets in Rural Communities and Small Cities. View video »

Connect With Us

NeighborWorks in Rural America

The NeighborWorks network has become increasingly active in rural communities around the country. Today, 80 organizations in the network participate in the Rural Initiative. View list of Rural Initiative members.

Your Guide to Rural Community Development Resources

The NeighborWorks Rural Initiative, formed in 2000, focuses on building the capacity of rural community development organizations in the areas of housing and economic development activities. The initiative advocates a mixed market approach to strengthen communities with smaller populations by integrating them within larger regional economies. Find the NeighborWorks organization closest to you.

NeighborWorks organizations within the Rural Initiative generate more than $1 billion in direct investments into rural communities across the United States every year while directly assisting more than 32,000 rural families with financial counseling, new home purchases, repairs to existing homes, economic development and job creation, new and improved units of affordable rental housing, and much-needed community facilities.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Many individuals come to this site looking for resources either to help with their own rural housing needs or to strengthen their local community-based organization. See if any of the following guidepoints might be helpful to you –

If you are looking for help with rural home repairs or are having difficulty making your mortgage payments,

Reach out to the nearest NeighborWorks organization (see above for link to rural NeighborWorks organizations or go to FindaForeclosureCounselor.org )
Call the nearest USDA Rural Development area office and ask for a housing specialist
Contact a Community Action Agency in your area
Check in with your state Housing Finance Agency (HFA)

If you are looking for resources and ways to strengthen your local or regional rural community-based organization –

Go to http://www.nw.org/network/aboutUs/member/process.asp for information on how to become a NeighborWorks organization
Go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/Home.html for information on programs and services of Rural Development
Go to http://ruralhousingcoalition.org/ to learn about joining a national coalition on rural housing matters
Go to http://www.ruralhome.org/ to learn about the Housing Assistance Council
Go to http://www.lisc.org/section/locations/rural to learn about Rural LISC

For more information on NeighborWorks Rural Initiative, please contact David Dangler at ddangler@nw.org or (617) 585-5011.

1325 G St., NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005-3100
Phone: (202) 220-2300 | Fax: (202) 376-2600