CENTER, Colo., Oct. 16, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Administrator Joaquin Altoro today announced investments to repair and rehabilitate affordable homes for farmworkers across five states.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is making historic investments to ensure everyone has a place they can feel proud to call home,” Administrator Altoro said. “This includes farmworkers and their families. The funding we’re awarding today will provide safe, modern homes for those who work every day to feed our families, and it will create jobs for the tradesmen and women who work hard to build these homes.”
USDA is awarding more than $18 million in grants and loans under the Off-Farm Labor Housing program to support improvements to approximately 500 homes. Through this and other multifamily housing programs, USDA ensures farmworkers and their families have safe, affordable places to live in the communities where they work.
With today’s investments, property owners will make health and safety repairs, accessibility improvements, energy efficiency upgrades and more. The projects being funded are in California, Colorado, Florida, Oregon and Washington. They include:
- In Center, Colorado, the San Luis Valley Farmworker Housing Corp. is receiving nearly $2 million in loan and grant funds to make improvements at 72 homes at the Tierra Nueva Dormitory Center.
- In McMinnville, Oregon, Yamhill Community Development Co. is receiving a grant of nearly $1 million to rehabilitate 24 homes at Villa Del Sol.
- In Wenatchee, Washington, the Housing Authority of Chelan County and the City of Wenatchee is receiving $4.2 million in loan and grant funds to making improvements at more than 100 homes at Washington Square, Wenatchee II Apartments and Heritage Glen.
View the full list of projects online.
USDA recently announced additional funding opportunities that will expand safe, affordable housing throughout rural America.
The Multifamily Housing Preservation Revitalization Demonstration Program is accepting applications until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time Dec. 26, 2024, to provide financing to property owners to improve rural multifamily and farmworker housing properties financed by USDA.
USDA is also accepting applications for two programs through Nov. 18, 2024, to provide technical assistance that will increase or preserve affordable multifamily housing opportunities and help connect residents to supportive services:
- $4.9 million in grants is available for eligible nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities through the Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grant Program.
- $2 million in grants is available for eligible nonprofits through the Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program.
USDA-RD provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA-RD updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber Page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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