A Social History of Rural Low-Income Housing Assistance Programs in the “Black Belt” Region of West Alabama

Pat Kennealy

Abstract

Low-income rural housing continues be problematic for many west Alabamian families. Public and non-governmental programs have been implemented in west Alabama to provide low-income families with opportunities to live in improved housing. Programs such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Program, and non-governmental programs have alleviated some rural housing issues through direct and indirect intervention strategies. Based on Census data and preliminary field work, this paper describes the need for low-income housing rental, rehabilitation, and homeownership assistance programs in four west Alabama counties (Greene, Hale, Marengo, and Sumter). This paper also sketches the history, progress, and social challenges of governmental and non-governmental rural housing assistance/improvement programs in this region.