The word homesteading is a very old term, with established laws circling it. In the United States, homesteading has been around since 1862 when President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act. To break down what homesteading means from an American perspective, a home place is a location where a person lives and works on a particular piece of land.
What is a Homestead?
A homestead is an area of land that has been granted to you for development. Through hard work and commitment, you can apply for the title over the homestead after the five years have passed, making it yours in law.
A homestead can be anywhere from 10 to 40 acres big and most people think about farming when they hear about these homestead grants. However, you can apply for these homesteading grants if you want to use the land for livestock or quarries instead of farming. Whichever type of development you want to do, be it farming, ranching, mining etc., you need to ensure that the area has the right conditions to make your homestead successful.
What are Homesteading Grants?
Because homesteading grants are government-funded, you will need to meet their terms and conditions to receive the land once development is complete. Homeownership through homesteading grants can be done through state or federal agencies.
Types of Homesteads
Depending on what you plan on doing with your chosen piece of land, you might be able to receive certain homesteading grants. Some people prefer quarries and farms while others will prefer a ranch. The homesteading grants available depend on this and you need to apply for them appropriately. You can still use the money for development even if it doesn’t include farming.
How to Apply for Homesteading Grants?
If you are looking to apply for homesteading grants, there are several things that you need to do. You need to find out what the terms and conditions of the grant are, how much money you can get from it and how often the grants are given out. Once you have all of this information, preparing your application is simple.
Do You Qualify for Homesteading Grants?
The first thing to consider is the difference between federal and state homesteading land grants. To access federal land grant programs, you must be a US citizen, permanent resident or have applied for citizenship. Many make the additional requirement of having lived in the same place for at least 5 years.
Even if you meet their criteria, homesteading land grants (especially at the federal level) aren’t easy to come by. You can apply for a homesteading grant through your local department of agriculture. If you’re successful there, they’ll refer your application to the Department of Agriculture in your state. And if you’re lucky enough to be accepted there as well, they’ll send your case to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
When it comes to homesteading, there are many grants out there that can help you get started.
Fifteen Homesteading Grants for Farm
- The USDA’s Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity Program provides low-interest loans to help with down payment and/or closing costs for those meeting eligibility requirements. Those who receive the loans must agree to live in the home as their primary residence and must not own any other homes.
- The USDA’s Intermediate-Term Housing Options Program helps rural families with limited income obtain housing arrangements under which they can learn how to build a house or repair their existing home.
- The USDA’s Rural Rental Housing Program assists in providing safe, decent and sanitary rental housing to lower-income families in rural areas by providing interest rate subsidies and rent supplements for the development of new homes or renovation of existing homes.
- The USDA’s Rural Housing Preservation Grant Program provides grants to help provide affordable housing for low-income individuals while promoting the preservation of existing housing stock. Eligible activities include roof replacement, major rehabilitation or conversion into energy-efficient units while ensuring affordability for future tenants.
- The USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants Program helps rural communities upgrade their wastewater treatment facilities and ensure communities have access to safe, affordable drinking water.
- The USDA’s Water and Environmental Programs provide loans for a variety of purposes including supporting rural businesses, providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, as well as enhancing land and water resources in rural areas.
- The USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grants are designed to help agricultural producers develop new or expand existing value-added businesses that add substantial economic value to agricultural products through processing, manufacturing and/or marketing while providing benefits to consumers.
- The USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Program provides loans for community water and waste disposal systems in rural areas. Priority is given to EPA-approved communities with a population of 10,000 or less and funding for this program has been increased by about 25 per cent.
- The USDA’s Rural Community Development Initiative provides technical assistance, training and grants to community development corporations to promote sustainable development in rural areas.
- The USDA’s Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program provides grants to assist in the development and/or maintenance of small businesses in rural communities with a primary emphasis on creating or retaining jobs for low-income residents and farmers.
- The USDA’s Community Facilities Loans and Grants provide direct loans and loan guarantees to finance the construction, renovation or expansion of essential community facilities. Priority for this funding is given to communities with populations under 5,000 where at least 35 per cent of the population lives below the poverty level.
- The USDA’s Community Connect Grant provides funds to establish broadband service in areas that lack access to broadband or where new service cannot be provided through existing funds.
- The USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants support the use of technology to deliver education and health care services to rural areas. Grant recipients usually share their services with an entire region, providing an alternative for those living in isolated communities.
- The USDA’s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program provides direct loans, loan guarantees and loan servicing to help rural businesses meet their working capital needs. Loans are guaranteed by the SBA in rural areas where conventional financing is not available or entrepreneurs face extraordinary credit risks. In FY 2011, funding for this program was increased by 34 per cent.
- The USDA’s Rural Economic Development Loans provide direct loans for small businesses, farmers and ranchers in rural communities that have a viable business plan, but lack access to credit or face other challenges that prevent the establishment of a profitable enterprise. In FY 2012, funding for this program was increased by 22 per cent.
Conclusion
If you have been looking for land to homestead, you should know that it’s possible to receive homesteading grants from the government. In addition to this, there are several conditions attached and finding out what they are is vital if you want your project to be a success.
FAQ
Do land grants still exist?
Yes, government homesteading grants are still out there for those who qualify. But instead of the 160 acres given to settlers back in 1862, you may be able to acquire as little as 10 or 20, but even that can make a huge difference.
How do you get money to start a farm?
Some people can purchase land or find themselves living away from an urban centre where they can cultivate their food. Others, however, may need financial assistance to make this dream a reality.
Thankfully, there are many different government grants available for homesteading that can help provide the right amount of financial backing for someone who has the desire to start a farm.
How do farmers get free money?
Homesteading is the practice of acquiring land for free by getting it from the government. Farmers are seeking out homesteading grants to get free land through online applications.
Homesteading grants are designed to make farming cheaper and easier. To many people, though, it still sounds too good to be true, but it’s completely real. The government provides homesteading grants to help support sustainable living and self-sufficient farming communities.