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Rural America faces housing, childcare shortages amid growing demand

Opportunities and challenges in rural America. 

Julie Tesch is the president and CEO of the Center for Rural Policy and Development.  She says the rural way of life is changing, not dying.

“And I think that’s a big difference that people need to understand is that people do want to move to rural areas, we just don’t have the housing available for that or the childcare.”

Tesch was the keynote speaker Tuesday at the Compeer Financial Rooted & Rising Rural Forum in Owatonna, Minnesota.

She calls the lack of rural housing and childcare systemic.

“Because we were underinvested in rural America for so many decades, and now people want to be there and we don’t have the infrastructure.”

Tesch says rural investment dollars could be provided through a new five-year farm bill.