That's when Debra realized that she had to prove Suhr - and herself - that she could do it. "I stood up and I told Melinda that I'd been paying $500 per month for rent for almost 10 years, despite how little I made. My landlady even called me once to tell me I was the best renter she ever had. I can do this, I said, I know I can do this."

Suhr was impressed.

"I told her that the federal government wrote the rules, but there is sometimes an exception," she says. "I think you are the exception." Suhr made Debra's case to USDA-RD officials, who agreed that Debra was a good risk.

But the real work was just beginning.

"The first day everyone was so motivated," she says. "But six months later, I realized that I hadn't had a Saturday to sleep in for forever, that it was cold and wet and muddy, and I was exhausted."

But working in the rain and freezing cold with the rest of her group created a bond that helped Debra get through the next six months. Now that they've almost finished, she realizes that they've built more than nine homes.

"We've built an amazing community. We're much more than neighbors. This is the kind of community that is great for kids to grow up in, where everybody knows about you and cares about you."

900 and counting... With the success of our Mutual Self Help program, three other counties have asked us to help them create their own programs.

Self Helpers build more than a home - they build strong communities.

It used to be that affordable housing stuck out like a sore thumb - it looked boxy and unattractive, not a place to be proud of. We design buildings to blend into the surrounding neighborhood.

This is an Equal Opportunity Program.
Discrimination is prohibited by Federal Law.
Complaints of discrimination may be filed with the Administrator, RHCDS, USDA, Washington, DC 20250-0700