The US Senate has unanimously passed legislation co-authored by Kansas Senator Jerry Moran and Democrat Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.

 The purpose of the bill is to extend the loan window for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Section 524 Rural Housing site loan program. The Section 524 program provides loans to non-profits and local and trial governments to acquire and develop land to be subdivided into building sites for low and moderate-income families. This legislation would extend the loan repayment window from two years to five years, increasing flexibility for borrowers. Moran says housing shortages are impacting rural communities and hurting their ability to grow and expand.

The legislation now moves to the US House of Representatives.