The RURAL DATA PORTAL: A New Way to Access Information for Rural Communities

WASHINGTON - Sept. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Washington, DC, September 18, 2013 – Advocates and practitioners working to improve living conditions in rural areas often have difficulty accessing reliable data. To help organizations better understand and document needs in their communities, The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) has updated and improved its RURAL DATA PORTAL (http://www.ruraldataportal.org/).

The Rural Data Portal is a simple, easy to use, on-line resource that provides essential information on the social, economic, and housing characteristics of communities in the United States.The Rural Data Portal provides over 350 data indictors for communities across the nation. Most of the information provided in the Rural Data Portal comes from HAC tabulations of the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, the American Community Survey (ACS) and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data.

"Many rural communities face high levels of poverty, unemployment, and lack access to decent, safe, and affordable housing, but do not always have the resources available to quantify these challenges," stated Moises Loza, HAC's Executive Director "HAC is pleased to provide this resource to assist organizations in their efforts to build rural communities."

To access the Rural Data Portal please visit: www.ruraldataportal.org.

About the Housing Assistance Council
Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Housing Assistance Council is a national nonprofit corporation dedicated to helping local organizations build affordable homes in rural America by providing below-market financing, technical assistance, research, training, and information services. HAC’s programs focus on local solutions, empowerment, reduced dependency, and self-help strategies. HAC is an equal opportunity lender.