Why the HOME Program Matters for Appalachia

For decades, the HOME Program has been a lifeline for families in underfunded rural communities. Eliminating it would reverse hard-won progress.

The HOME Investment Partnerships Program has been a lifeline for Appalachia and rural communities across the country for more than three decades. It is a federal block grant to states and localities dedicated solely to affordable housing. The program has enabled nonprofits like Fahe and our Members to create stable housing for families who otherwise would have no path to homeownership or affordable rental housing.

A recent Associated Press article highlights the devastating impact of proposals to eliminate the HOME Program. The Senate has maintained federal funding in FY 2026 appropriations. But the budget is still in play. Without the HOME Program, decades of progress in housing rural America would be reversed.

“The HOME Program is critical to the housing we need in Appalachia. For decades, our region has been chronically underfunded, even as families face some of the toughest housing challenges in the country. The HOME Program allows us to serve people at the lowest income levels—families who otherwise would have no chance at safe, affordable housing. Eliminating it would reverse decades of progress and put rural communities at even greater risk. The Senate has taken an important first step. Congress must put more resources into housing, not less, if we want to ensure every hardworking American has the stability of a home.”
— Jim King, Fahe CEO

Housing can’t wait. Congress must protect and expand the HOME Program so that families in Appalachia and rural America can build stable lives and thriving communities. We urge policymakers, funders, and advocates to stand with us in defending this vital tool.

Read more in the news article published on August 31 in the Associated Press.