Given the news of ever-increasing foreclosure rates and people battling predatory lending practices by mortgage companies, buying a new home doesn't seem like a viable option for many people.

In addition, most would-be homeowners are discouraged by the impression they have to have spotless credit and a small mint of cash already stashed away for a down payment.

As far as Kevin McAllister, a rural development specialist with the Department of Agriculture, is concerned, that's just not true.

McAllister travels to communities to teach people about the USDA's Rural Development program, designed to make buying a home an accessible and affordable option for very-low income to medium-income families.

While lenders are tightening requirements that make it more difficult, the USDA's program has actually changed its requirements to make qualifying for a loan easier.

"Not many know about the programs because when they think of USDA, they think of meat," McAllister wrote in an e-mail.

Actually, the programs are nothing new, but due to other "easy loan" programs they are often overlooked.

The problem, McAllister maintains, is that "all you see is negative information in the housing market ... The truth is, however, there are still options such as government programs like ours."

There are two main programs offered: a direct loan program targeted to very-low and low-income families (a "family" can consist of one person) and a guaranteed program targeted toward medium-income families.

Under the direct program, a person qualifies for subsidy assistance from the government on the mortgage interest rate.

For example, if the note rate is 5.37 percent, a family could end up paying as little as 1 percent.

Under the direct program, the USDA is the lender, so payments are made directly to Uncle Sam.

To qualify for the direct program, one person cannot make more than 80 percent of the median income (or more than $35,000).

A two-person family could not make more than $40,000 to qualify, and a three-person household could not earn more than $45,000.

The program has an income scale matrix that can accommodate families larger than eight people, so a full house isn't a detriment.

Under the guarantee program, the buyer goes through a public lender, and their loan is guaranteed by the USDA.

The program offers 100 percent financing with no monthly mortgage insurance required and is not credit-score driven.

Applicants for the guarantee program can not earn more than 115 percent of the median income.

Qualified applicants for the program have a plethora of housing options available to them.

They can use the money to purchase land to build a stick-built home or place a manufactured home, or they can use the funds to purchase a new manufactured or stick-built home.

About the only option not available is using funds to purchase an older manufactured home.

McAllister visits Pahrump on the first Wednesday of every month at 10 a.m. to give an informative seminar about the programs at the Bob Ruud Community Center.

For more information about USDA affordable housing, call the local branch in Las Vegas at (702) 262-9047 extension 4.