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Obama names new head of state rural housing
By Melissa Sánchez
YAKIMA — The Obama administration named the leader of a Yakima housing
agency on Monday to head the federal agency for rural housing in
Washington.
Mario Villanueva, currently director of Catholic Charities Housing
Services in Yakima, will take responsibility for the federal Department
of Agriculture's Washington State Office of Rural Development.
"The USDA is poised to do great things in the rural communities of the
whole state. I'm anxious to get to the work," said Villanueva, 58.
The Sunnyside native will leave his position with the Catholic housing
agency in the next few months. That agency, which just celebrated its
10th anniversary, provides affordable housing to more than 1,100
farmworkers and senior citizens throughout the Yakima Valley.
As part of his job with Catholic Charities, Villanueva also oversaw
housing projects in Chelan and Grant counties. The agency built Casa
Guadelupe in Chelan, low-income housing in Mattawa and Warden, and is
getting ready to open another facility in Royal City.
"He's nothing less than incredible when it comes to doing this work,"
said John Young, executive director of the Diocese of Yakima Catholic
Charities. "I don't know if the USDA could find a more suitable,
qualified or competent person than Mario Villanueva."
Rural Development programs work to improve the economic stability of
rural communities by providing loan and grant programs for housing,
businesses and critical infrastructure, such as public safety buildings,
libraries, town halls and safety equipment.
"Mario Villanueva will be an important advocate for rural communities
and will help administer programs and services that can enhance their
economic success," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a written
statement.
The Yakima housing agency provides affordable housing to more than 1,100
people in eight Central Washington communities. In addition to
overseeing those operations, Villanueva created the Raices Corp. to
address common concerns of farmworkers, first-time homebuyers, seniors
and other low-income families throughout Central Washington. Last year
he won the Golden Tennis Shoe Award from Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
Villanueva also takes personal experience to the new job. He is the son
of migrant farmworkers from Texas.
"We know what our mission is," he said. "Of course, political
appointments are unique because folks don't usually come up through the
ranks. But my background in the last 25 years has focused on a lot of
these areas ... I think I have the skills to network and connect."
He and his wife, Jane, will leave Yakima for Olympia, where the Rural
Development office is based, but not without regrets.
"I really love my work here," Villanueva said. "I have a great, great
staff and we're doing some very unique things in affordable housing,
client education, working with local communities.
"But it's timing, this is part of life."
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