USDA pilot program to help people in rural American Samoa repair homes

Honolulu, HAWAII — U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Hawaii/ Western Pacific State director Chris Kanazawa has announced that the department is launching a pilot program to make it easier for people to access loans and grants to repair homes damaged by tropical storms and typhoons and future natural disasters.

The homes must be located in eligible rural areas and presidentially declared disaster areas in states selected to participate in the pilot, which includes American Samoa.

“The Biden-Harris Administration and U.S. Department of Agraclture (USDA) stand ready to deploy every resource at our disposal to help families and individuals recover and recuperate,” Kanazawa said.

“We are working hard to find solutions that better accommodate people impacted by natural disasters in rural areas across this state, to help them get the resources they need to rebuild their homes and their lives.

“The pilot program we are announcing today is a key example of this critical work and will hopefully create a blueprint for helping people in rural communities across the country recover from natural disasters.”

This USDA pilot program significantly expands eligibility for people seeking Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants to repair and rebuild their homes damaged in areas of presidentially declared disasters.

As a part of this pilot, USDA is making a number of changes, including:

• •            Lowering the minimum age from 62 to 18 for eligible homeowners.
• •            Refinancing debt and reimbursing repair costs incurred as a result of the natural disaster and prior to the date of the application.
• •            Financing costs to relocate mobile and manufactured homes.

Funds may be used in presidentially declared disaster areas that occurred since July 18, 2022, including American Samoa. Funds may also be used in areas subject to future natural disasters in the next two years.

Funds may be used in American Samoa and in areas subject to future natural disasters in the next two years.

Applications must be submitted by July 18, 2025 via Grants.gov or directly to the Rural Development State Office.

For more information on how to apply, contact Housing Director Cynthia Jackson at [email protected] or visit www.rd.usda.gov/hi.