Housing

USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing Direct Loan Guide: How to Secure 1 Percent Financing for Rural Affordable Housing

If you work in affordable housing and rural communities keep coming up short, the USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing Direct Loan program should be on your short list of tools. It is not flashy. It is not fast.

Amount: Up to 100% of development costs (or appraised value) with 1% effective interest rate and up to 50-year term Deadline: Annual Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and rolling applications through USDA Rural Development state offices Location: United States

Utah Circuit Breaker and Indigent Abatement Programs

Property tax relief options that reduce or defer county property taxes for low-income Utah homeowners and renters.

Type: Benefit Amount: Circuit breaker provides up to $1,185 credit; indigent abatement can reduce taxes by 50% or up to $1,011 per year Deadline: Apply with the county treasurer or auditor by September 1 each year Location: Utah

VA Home Loan Benefits 2025: How Veterans Can Buy a Home with $0 Down

If you’re a Veteran, service member, or surviving spouse and you think you “can’t afford a house,” the VA home loan program might change your mind very quickly. This isn’t a tiny perk buried in your benefits packet.

Type: Benefit Amount: Loan amounts up to conforming limits with zero down; funding fee varies 0.5%–3.3% Deadline: rolling application Location: United States

Vermont Homestead Declaration and Property Tax Credit

Reduces school and municipal property taxes for Vermont resident homeowners through income-based credits linked to the annual homestead declaration.

Type: Benefit Amount: Credits vary; up to $8,000 or more depending on income and property tax Deadline: File Homestead Declaration Form HS-122 and Property Tax Credit Claim Form HI-144 by April 15 (automatic extension to October 15 for income tax filers) Location: Vermont

Vermont Renter Credit

Refundable Vermont income tax credit that returns a portion of rent paid by income-eligible households.

Type: Benefit Amount: Up to $3,500 based on rent constituting more than 30% of household income Deadline: April filing deadline for Vermont income tax returns (usually April 15) Location: Vermont

Virginia Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled

Allows Virginia homeowners with limited income who are elderly or permanently disabled to reduce or fully exempt local real estate taxes.

Type: Benefit Amount: Localities may exempt 100% or provide partial relief based on income and net worth limits Deadline: Varies by locality; often March 1 to April 1 Location: Virginia

West Virginia Homestead Property Tax Exemption: Save Money on Property Taxes if You're 65+ or Disabled

Reduces county property taxes for eligible West Virginia homeowners who are seniors or totally and permanently disabled by exempting the first $20,000 of assessed value.

Type: Benefit Amount: Exempts up to $20,000 of assessed value (equal to $100,000 of market value) Deadline: File application with the county assessor between July 1 and December 1 for the following tax year Location: West Virginia

Wisconsin Homestead Credit

Refundable credit that offsets property tax or rent for low-income Wisconsin residents.

Type: Benefit Amount: Up to $1,168 depending on household income and property tax/rent Deadline: Wisconsin income tax filing deadline (April 15); late claims accepted for four years Location: Wisconsin

Wyoming Property Tax Refund Program

Provides refunds of a portion of property taxes for eligible Wyoming homeowners based on income and asset limits.

Type: Benefit Amount: Refund up to 75% of the prior year's property tax, capped at one-half median residential tax Deadline: Apply online or by mail by the first Monday in June Location: Wyoming