The USDA's Housing Help

The April 6 front-page article "Rural Aid Goes to Urban Areas; USDA Development Program Helps Suburbs, Resort Cities" highlighted investments in some facilities in wealthy communities and urban areas, and it accurately described the difficulty of defining what is rural.

The Housing Assistance Council, a national nonprofit organization supporting housing development for the poorest of the poor in the most rural areas, vehemently opposes the use of Agriculture Department Rural Development funding in wealthy vacation destinations to benefit well-heeled residents and tourists.

The USDA's housing programs, however, which are available only to lower-income rural people, have improved the living conditions of thousands of poor rural residents.

MOISES LOZA

Executive Director

Housing Assistance Council

Washington