Sen. Mike Rounds is reintroducing legislation he says aims to improve federal rural housing programs.
It’s called the Rural Housing Service Reform Act. It’s co-sponsored by Minnesota Democrat Sen. Tina Smith.
“The Rural Housing Service Reform Act would streamline federal programs and remove barriers to homeownership, making this dream a reality for more South Dakotans. It would also preserve existing affordable housing and rental assistance in rural areas," Rounds said.
Rounds said the bill expands housing opportunities by offering loans, grants and rental assistance to people in rural areas, including Native communities.
“The demand for rural housing in South Dakota remains high. In order to keep the costs of building single family homes affordable, we need this legislation,” said Lakota Vogel, board member of the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition. “It cuts through the red tape and encourages public private partnerships to increase investment in our state’s/nations’ rural housing supply. Hats off to Senator Rounds for getting it right again.”
Supporters of the bill say many aspects of existing rural housing programs are outdated.
The bill was first introduced in 2023.