Hinson Secures Commitment from Biden Administration to Prioritize Housing in Rural Iowa

Press Release

At a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security hearing with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson asked the Administration to prioritize housing in rural areas and secured a commitment that it will do so.

On prioritizing rural communities:"I also wanted to call your attention to a few of Iowa's priorities that I think need some more attention than they have typically and historically have gotten from HUD. According to the Census Bureau, about 60 million people live in rural areas, this is about one-fifth of the population. More than 95% of the country's land is classified as being rural, much of the district I represent is rural. So my first question for you today is simple: Why do you not mention the word "rural" in your testimony that you submitted to this committee?"

On expanding housing options in Jones County: "I wanted to talk to you today about Jones County specifically; it's an area that would really welcome a lot of young families attempting to move for work, and rural communities simply need the workforce, but they don't necessarily have the housing needed to support the growth. So the housing crisis isn't just about having a roof available. It's also about the community's ability to develop economically and grow. Scarce housing means farmland country in Iowa struggles to attract the workforce it needs. The largest county in Jones County is Anamosa -- about 4,500 people who live, work, and play there. And then on the other spectrum, in Jones County, we have Onslow, which only has about 200 people and Morley, which only has about 115 people. This obviously isn't unique to Jones County. It's a challenge for all the rural areas I represent [like] Worth, Allamakee, and Poweshiek, every county that is rural. So I just want to make sure that you will commit to us today to ensure that as we're having these discussions that HUD doesn't leave behind rural communities and focuses on them, just as we would prioritize urban communities, we need to prioritize rural communities."

Secretary Fudge committed to working in a bipartisan manner on this issue: "You have my absolute word. And let me reassure you that I certainly do want to work with you."

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