The poverty rate in rural areas in the U.S. is 17.7 percent, three times higher than that of urban areas, and over the last 40 years, rural development funding has been cut by 75 percent.
Curbed reports that several organizations from around the country have been working to fix these rural communities.
Coastal Enterprises in Maine has raised more than $300 million to assist rural areas, with a focus on agriculture and fisheries. BitSource in Kentucky teaches local miners how to code and develop software.
Self-Help Enterprises in California helps agricultural workers afford homeownership.
Groups of prospective owners band together to build each other’s homes, collaborating on dozens of projects, with the help of professional construction workers and supervisors. … This mutual self-help system builds communities, not just homes, and is a big part of how the organization has helped 24,000 families find housing.
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