DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it has $11 million available to help low-income residents in rural Iowa buy homes with no down payments required. The USDA Rural Development program requires homes to be purchased in communities of less than 20,000 residents. In the past year the office helped 2,600 families buy a home.

Bill Menner the program’s Iowa director says a new centralized delivery system for the Direct Home Loan Program in Iowa is designed to provide efficient, predictable and timely loan reviews. Starting May 19 all inquiries, pre-qualifications and applications will go to a centralized location in Des Moines.