Applications for this program are originated in the field office serving your county. Select the Contacts tab above for the NC field office list.
What does this program do?
Also known as the Section 504 Home Repair program, this provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes or grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards.
Who may apply for this program?
To qualify, you must:
- Be the homeowner and occupy the house
- Be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere
- Have a household income that does not exceed the very low limit by county
- For grants, be age 62 or older
What is an eligible rural area?
Utilizing the USDA Eligibility Site you can enter a specific address for determination or just search the map to review general eligible areas.
How may funds be used?
- Loans may be used to repair, improve or modernize homes or remove health and safety hazards
- Grants must be used to remove health and safety hazards
How much money can I get?
- Maximum loan is $40,000
- Maximum grant is $10,000
- Loans and grants can be combined for up to $50,000 in assistance
What are the terms of the loan or grant?
- Loans are termed for 20 years
- Loan interest rate is fixed at 1%
- Full title service is required if the total outstanding balance on Section 504 loans is greater than $25,000
- Grants have a lifetime limit of $10,000
- Grants must be repaid if the property is sold in less than 3 years
Is there a deadline to apply?
- Applications for this program are accepted through your local RD office year round
How long does an application take?
Approval times depend on funding availability in your area. Talk to a USDA home loan specialist in your area for help with the application
Who can answer questions and how do I get started?
Contact a USDA home loan specialist in your area
What governs this program?
- The Housing Act of 1949 as amended, 7 CFR Part 3550
- HB-1-3550 - Direct Single Family Housing Loans and Grants Field Office Handbook
Why does USDA Rural Development do this?
Helping people stay in their own home and keep it in good repair helps families and their communities. Homeownership helps families and individuals build savings over time. It strengthens communities and helps many kinds of businesses that support the local economy.
NOTE: Because citations and other information may be subject to change, please always consult the program instructions listed in the section above titled "What Governs this Program?" Applicants may also contact your local office for assistance.
NOTE: Please select your state using the "Select your location" menu above. By doing so, any state specific forms and resources will be shown above this note.
Applicant Resources:
Prior to applying, potential applicants are encouraged (but are not required) to go through an informal prequalification process to determine if the repair program may be a good fit for them. To start, potential applicants can contact their local Rural Development office and provide the following documentation:
- Form RD 3550-35, Section 504 Home Repair Loan and Grant Program Intake Form (Spanish version not available)
- Form RD 3550-1, Authorization to Release Information (Spanish version not available)
Very-low income homeowners in rural areas interested in applying for the repair program (preferably after going through the prequalification process as described above) can contact their local Rural Development office and provide the following documentation:
- Form RD 410-4, Uniform Residential Loan Application
- Form RD 410-4, Solicitud de Préstamo Residencial Único
- Form RD 3550-1, Authorization to Release Information (Spanish version not available)
- Form RD 3550-4, Employment and Asset Certification
- Form RD 3550-4, Certificación de Empleo y Patrimonio Certificación de Empleo
- All application items listed in Attachment 12-E Checklist (Spanish version not available)
Borrower Resources:
- Homeowners Information Guide - English version
- Homeowners Information Guide - Spanish version
Rural Development Staff and Application Packager Resources:
- The 504 Automated Worksheet is a tool designed to identify what type of assistance a homeowner may receive; however, is not a final eligibility determination. The tool can be used to package 504 loans and grants.
- Repair packagers are not subject to the certified packaging process for purchase loans. Information regarding the 504 packaging process can be found in HB-1-3550, Chapter 3, Attachment 3-A.
- Repair packagers must sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the State Office.
- Allowable packaging fees to any public, tribe or private nonprofit organizations may be included in repair loans and grants.
- Packagers are encouraged to visit the Direct Loan Application Packagers page for information and resources specific to packaging Section 502 Home Purchase Program.
- Eligibility for repair assistance considers the applicant's age, household income, and Total Debt (TD) ratio. To qualify for a grant, the applicant must be 62 or older.
Individual states may have particular requirements based on state and local regulations. Please contact the state office in the state where your project is located.
There are no other additional requirements at the national level. If there are additional state-specific requirements they will be listed above.
NC Rural Development Area Office Map
State Office Contacts
USDA Rural Development
4405 Bland Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
Phone: 919-873-2015
Reginald Speight, State Director
Rural Housing Service, Single-Family Housing
William Kenney, Director
919-873-2041
Email: william.kenney@usda.gov
Rural Housing Service, Multi-Family Housing
Byron Waters, Director
919-873-2055
Email: byron.waters@usda.gov
Rural Business and Cooperative Services
Bruce Pleasant, Director
919-873-2031
Email: bruce.pleasant@usda.gov
Community Programs and Program Support
Garland Burnette, Director
919-873-2063
Email: garland.burnette@usda.gov
Rural Partners Network
George Vital, North Carolina Lead
919-873-2034
Email: george.vital@usda.gov
Public Information
Robert Kerns, Public Information Officer
919-873-2033
Email: robert.kerns2@usda.gov
ASHEVILLE AREA OFFICE
Jody Lovelace, Area Director
160 Zillicoa Street, Suite #2
Asheville, NC 28801
828-254-0916
844-325-6823 Fax
Email: jody.lovelace@usda.gov
Counties Served: All Area One Counties
JEFFERSON SUB AREA OFFICE
134 Law Enforcement Dr., Suite 201
Jefferson, NC 28640
336-246-2885
844-325-6823 Fax
Email: Joyce.Latham@usda.gov
Counties Served: Ashe, Watauga, Alleghany, Wilkes, Caldwell
FRANKLIN LOCAL OFFICE
195 Thomas Heights Road
Franklin, NC 28734
828-524-3175
844-325-6823 Fax
Email: rebecca.pinto@usda.gov
Counties Served: Macon, Haywood, Jackson, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Swain
SPRUCE PINE LOCAL OFFICE
11943 S. 226 Hwy Suite D
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
828-765-0889
844-325-6823 Fax
Email: susan.roland@usda.gov
Counties Served: Mitchell, Yancey, Madison, Avery, Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania
SHELBY AREA OFFICE
Jody Lovelace, Area Director
844 Wallace Grove Road
Shelby, NC 28150
704-471-0235
844-325-6850 Fax
Email: kevin.oliver@usda.gov
Counties Served: Cleveland, Gaston, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Mecklenburg
WINSTON-SALEM SUB AREA OFFICE
Forsyth County Agriculture Building Room 102
1450 Fairchild Drive
for SFH inquiries, please contact the Shelby Service Center at 704-471-0235 ext 4
DOBSON LOCAL OFFICE
220 Cooper Street
PO Box 66
Dobson, NC 27017
336-386-8751
844-325-6850 Fax
Email: debbie.dickerson@usda.gov
Counties Served: Surry, Yadkin, Stokes
LUMBERTON AREA OFFICE
Larry Sampson, Area Director
PO Box 7426
440-C Caton Road
Lumberton, NC 28360
910-887-3762
844-325-6830 Fax
Email: larry.sampson@usda.gov
Counties Served: Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Hoke, Lee, Robeson, Scotland
SMITHFIELD SUB AREA OFFICE
Johnston County Agric Service Bldg
2736 Hwy 210
Smithfield, NC 27577
919-300-4866
844-325-6830 Fax
Email: kristi.wilson@usda.gov
Counties Served: Johnston, Harnett, Sampson, Wake, Wilson
BOLIVIA LOCAL OFFICE
10 Referendum Drive
PO Box 108
Bolivia, NC 28422
910-253-4448
844-325-6830 Fax
Email: paula.thrush@usda.gov
Counties Served: Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender
ASHEBORO AREA OFFICE
Kelley Woodley, Area Director
847 Curry Drive, Suite 104
Asheboro, NC 27205
336-629-4449
844-325-6822 Fax
Email: sha.stallings-morgan@usda.gov
Counties Served: Alamance, Cabarrus, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Guilford, Moore, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly,
SANFORD LOCAL AREA OFFICE
2416 Tramway Road
Ernest & Ruby McSwain Extension Educ & Ag Center
Sanford, NC 27332
919-775-3407
844-325-6830 Fax
Email: margarita.marble@usda.gov
Counties Served:
ROCKINGHAM LOCAL OFFICE
123 Caroline Street
Rockingham, NC 28379
910-895-3950
844-325-6822 Fax
Email: pamela.edwards@usda.gov
Counties Served: Richmond, Montgomery, Anson, Union
HENDERSON AREA OFFICE
Shirlene Alexander, Area Director
853 S. Beckford Drive, Suite A
Henderson, NC 27536
252-438-3134 ext. 4
844-325-6826 Fax
Email: kim.hunt@usda.gov
Counties Served: Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren, Orange, Durham, Person,
WINTON SUB AREA OFFICE
County Office Building
305 W. Tryon Street
P.O. Box 8
Winton, NC 27986
252-358-7836
844-325-6826 Fax
Email: travis.lassiter@usda.gov
Counties Served: Hertford, Gates, Chowan, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Camden, Currituck, Bertie, Northampton
HALIFAX LOCAL OFFICE
Halifax County Agriculture Complex
359 Ferrell Lane
P.O. Box 7
Halifax, NC 27839
252-583-7171 ext. 4
844-325-6826 Fax
Email: shirlene.alexander@usda.gov
Counties Served: Halifax, Nash
KINSTON AREA OFFICE
Aaron Gaskins, Area Director
2044-C Hwy 11/55 South
PO Box 6189
Kinston, NC 28501-0189
252-526-9799
844-325-6827 Fax
Email: stephanie.hardison@usda.gov
Counties Served: Lenoir, Jones, Craven, Pamlico, Onslow, Carteret, Wayne, Greene, Duplin
GREENVILLE SUB AREA OFFICE
Pitt County Office Complex
403 Government Circle, Suite 3
Greenville, NC 27834
252-752-2035/252-752-2880
844-325-6827 Fax
Email: richard.hines@usda.gov
Counties Served: Pitt, Martin, Washington, Tyrrell, Dare, Beaufort, Hyde, Edgecombe