Alex Milan Tracy for Underscore
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The dozens of independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news organizations that make up the Rural News Network are developing the broadest news alliance reporting on rural America. These newsrooms are pursuing coverage that provides a more complete picture of what it means to live and work in these communities.
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Low-income West Virginians could lose access to 28% of affordable housing unless lawmakers step in
February 05, 2026
About 200 subsidized housing properties in West Virginia are nearing the end of federal affordability protections within the next five to ten years, unless lawmakers step in with state support.
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South Dakotans’ biggest needs, according to 211 calls
February 04, 2026
The Helpline Center began making its data on caller needs and geographies available to the public on its data dashboard three years ago, a few years after the line became available to all South Dakotans.
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Bill Would Let Churches Build Affordable Housing Without Zoning Restrictions
February 04, 2026
In Oklahoma, affordable housing is scarce, which contributes to the state having the sixth-highest eviction rate in the nation, according to the most recent available data.
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Habitat for Humanity leads nation in subdivision efforts
February 02, 2026
After decades of building one home at a time for families in need of affordable housing, South Dakota’s two largest Habitat for Humanity affiliates have embarked on efforts to develop multiple houses in a single project.
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‘A really beautiful gift’: Missoula philanthropist sought to enhance city’s affordable housing before her death
January 26, 2026
Known for living a simple, frugal life, Ethel MacDonald left behind a legacy of giving ‘to others not as lucky as me.’
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Cantelmo emphasizes housing, transparency in State of the City
January 16, 2026
The mayor called housing the “defining challenge of our time,” doubling down on a commitment to increase the available stock and improving affordability.
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Abandoned buildings are crumbling across West Virginia. A state program to clean them up is out of money.
January 06, 2026
Until this year, a state program helped communities tear these buildings down, preventing them from becoming safety hazards for neighborhoods and harming property values.
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The one issue South Dakota towns agree is holding them back
December 24, 2025
One overarching local challenge hovers above all else: a need for more and better housing to accommodate new residents who will create the backbone of any economic development initiative.
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Does North Dakota law limit how much counties can increase property tax revenue each year?
December 18, 2025
The cap applies to counties, cities, townships, and park districts, while school districts are subject to separate provisions.
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Kauaʻi Renters Are Fighting A Hawaiian Homesteads Condo Project
December 18, 2025
Residents of an apartment complex on Kaua‘i who are being displaced by a Hawaiian homesteads project are having a tough time finding rentals on the small island with a lack of housing units.
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More South County homeless receive health care
December 13, 2025
Local officials are reporting a sharp uptick in homeless people seeking health services in South County – a trend they credit to successful outreach.
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As the number of homeless people rises in Missouri, cities confront cross-border “drop-offs”
December 12, 2025
Joplin officials recently passed an ordinance banning the practice after noticing out-of-state vehicles dropping off homeless people. Columbia, meanwhile, has adopted a voluntary ride home program.
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Amid rising home prices, Richland Center residents decry building housing on park
December 11, 2025
A group of residents says city officials have ignored them in moving forward to build duplexes on a green space in town. Meanwhile, home prices in the little city have increased 76% since 2017.
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Federal Benefit Cuts Push Oklahoma Families Into Eviction Crisis
December 10, 2025
The recent government shutdown, which included would-be cuts to the federal child care subsidies, Head Start and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, along with furloughs, has created such crises throughout Oklahoma among low and middle-income families.
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Discussion time: What housing solutions would work best for your community?
December 01, 2025
Many communities have watched residents leave because they couldn’t find affordable places to live.
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