Perhaps life in the country isn't so bad after all, relatively speaking. Recent stories about rural Americans unable to cash in on the bullish economy failed to mention that more rural Americans than city folk own their own homes . Thanks, in part, to a portfolio of government programs that embody the work ethic of rural life, a record 75 percent of rural Americans own their own homes, compared to the 67 percent nationwide record, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Home ownership is a key to fulfilling the American dream.
When people own their homes, they build equity for their future and the future of their children, and become more involved in the affairs of their community. Glickman made the announcement recently in Orlando, Fla. where he presented Terika Baker with the key to her new home. Baker had been building the home for the past six months through the federal agriculture department's Self-Help Housing Program. Baker, a single mother, worked like most program participants building a better home to raise children. The agriculture department provides financial backing, while a local partner agency acquires the land, develops the site, trains participants in building skills and supervises the construction.