I live in rural indiana, and even in the bible belt i attend a temple once a week supported by western lay people. we have one monk in residence but raise enough funds to house other monks from surrounding states once a month or so. its a house. with a monk that lives there. nothing special. even in the bible belt i see this as a budding oppurtunity. that the buddhist monastic tradition will survive here, not in fancy ornamented temples spaning 100 acre plots of land. but in the simple requisites afforded by a meditating lay comunity, basic rent, utilities and one meal a day. this is how buddhism can flourish,at least in my country.
What the united states needs is realized individuals, realized members of the community, lay or ordained. people who can teach meditation and incourage a persistant practice. In my opinion, and too my knowlage the buddha spoke thusly, a person who can spread metta in at least the 1st jhana can greatly change those around him, will be "field of merit" to those around him. If an honast practicioner is virtuious, follows the percepts and devolops good will then he is a monastary to every one he meets, every where he goes he affords oppurtunity for others to practice dana, then positive merit will over come negitive and buddhism will surive.
We cant think "oh i cant practice i have a job" or "ill wait until i go to a monastary to take the 8 percepts" or "i have to ordain to follow the buddha" because then there will be no merit in our communities. If we in the west keep strict practice regardless of work, ordination, culture, (sila bata pramasa, sakayaditthi) if we focus on our mind and devolop the path every day regardless of any situation, if we are true to the path then we will shape our communities, its not something you have to will, all we have to do is "practice dhamma in line with dhamma" regardless of how we sustain our bodies. The merit created by this will change our communities, this is how buddhism spreads and how it stays alive.