The extent of support from other federal, state, local and private sources for the HUD-funded activities. In The New Economy pointed out the need for programs to strengthen rural housing and economic development. The report said that while most of America's communities have benefited from the strong economy created by Clinton-Gore Administration policies, too many urban, suburban and rural communities still face challenges of high unemployment, population losses and poverty. Many rural communities have been mired in poverty and joblessness for decades. Their economic fortunes are like flat lines against the cycles of growth and contraction that have reshaped the nation over decades.
Isolation also plays a distinct role in shaping rural poverty.
But now, with a record-breaking economy, we can include these places in the promise of growth and vitality that all communities deserve.