With only her limited disability income, and considering the scarcity of affordable housing in Missoula County, Deena RisingSong said, homeownership seemed an impossible dream.
But Wednesday, RisingSong was handed the keys to her own home - a brand-new, $130,000 two-bedroom house in Missoula's new Canyon Creek Village development west of North Reserve Street.
"So far this year," said Ryan, "Rural Development has financed $42,040,419 in rural housing projects across the state. We are happy to help Deena and others like her enjoy the many benefits of home ownership."
The process that culminated in Wednesday's ceremony, started 2 1/2 years ago for RisingSong, when she attended a homeownership education class sponsored by a local nonprofit group, HomeWORD.
The classes empower first-time home buyers by helping them know what questions to ask in looking for a home and securing a loan, according to Ellie Sigrist of HomeWORD. The classes are offered monthly in Missoula. For more information, call HomeWORD at 543-3550.
RisingSong enrolled in HomeWORD's HomeStart program, which provides 3-1 matching funds for a down payment, Sigrist said.
There were times, she added, when RisingSong was frustrated and talked about quitting her quest to buy a home. But Sigrist and others encouraged her.
"It was a struggle," said RisingSong, adding that Monica Nordquist, a loan specialist for Rural Development in Missoula, "had to keep me together."
Rural Development determined that RisingSong qualified for its 502 direct loan program, which provides low-interest loans for low- and very-low-income families.
RisingSong received further financial assistance from the Human Resource Council, another private, nonprofit group, which provided a no-interest deferred loan to cover her down payment and closing costs.
The Human Resources Council has provided close to $1.8 million in loans to 90 households in rural Missoula, Ravalli and Mineral counties in the past four years, according to Brendan Moles, the group's housing loans manager.
"I wouldn't have been able to do it without them," RisingSong said of the combined assistance of the government and private groups. "It's a great blessing."
She said she expects to move into her new home in mid-July.
"I love it," she said. "It couldn't be more me. It's a miracle, actually."
Reporter Daryl Gadbow can be reached at 523-5264 or by
e-mail at dgadbow@missoulian.com
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