- Monday, August 2nd, 2021
USDA announces Heirs’ Property Relending Program
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will begin implementation of the Heirs’ Property Relending Program, an initiative spearheaded by U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., in the 2018 Farm Bill.
“For so long, too many farmers have been locked out of USDA programs through no fault of their own,” said Scott. “I am glad the department is implementing our commonsense solution, which will open the door to landowners having more options and access to programs. This will be a game changer for heirs’ property owners in South Carolina and across the country.”
What is heirs’ property?
Heirs’ property is land that has been passed down through generations of the same family, often without any formal change of title.
Over a third of Black-owned land in the South was passed down informally, rather than through deeds and wills.
[…]
After getting the Fair Access for Farmers and Ranchers Act included in the 2018 Farm Bill, Scott and Jones introduced an amendment to the FY 2020 appropriations bill for the Department of Agriculture that appropriated funds for the implementation of the loan program.