SAINT PAUL, Minn., April 10 – USDA Rural Development State Director Colleen Landkamer announced today that USDA’s Rural Housing Service (RHS) is soliciting pre-applications for Farm Labor Housing loans and grants to construct off-farm units and related facilities for domestic farm laborers, or to purchase and substantially rehabilitate non-farm labor housing properties.
This program assists qualified applicants that are unable to obtain commercial credit on terms that will allow them to charge rents that are affordable to low-income tenants. Qualified applicants include:
- Farmers, associations of farmers and family farm corporations
- Associations of farmworkers and nonprofit organizations*
- Most State and local governmental entities*
- Federally-recognized Tribes*
Primarily, funding may be used for construction, improvement, repair and purchase of housing for domestic farm laborers. Funding may also be used to buy and improve land; purchase household furnishings; or pay construction loan interest. For a complete list, see 7 CFR 3560.53.
The two-phase application process starts with pre-applications. This year, RHS will assign additional points to pre-applications for projects based in or serving census tracts with poverty rates greater than or equal to 20 percent over the last 30 years. Selected pre-applications are invited to then submit final applications. Pre-applications will be due June 23, 2015.
RHS will publish on its website the amount of funding available in FY 2015. For additional details, please contact Linda Swanson at 763-689-3354 x 125 or see Page 15743 of the March 25 Federal Register.
*Eligible to apply for grants and loans