Rural Health
News by Topic: Housing and homelessness
Apr 19, 2024 - The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is accepting pre-applications for Section 514 Off-Farm Labor Housing (Off-FLH) loans and Section 516 Off-FLH grants for the construction of new off-farm FLH units for domestic farm laborers, retired domestic farm laborers, or disabled domestic farm laborers. This program aims to increase the supply of affordable housing for farm laborers. Pre-applications will be accepted until July 3, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding:
Off-Farm Labor Housing Direct Loans and Grants
Mar 25, 2024 - Highlights challenges with maintaining rural rental housing in places where affordable new housing is scarce. Describes federal programs working to preserve existing rental housing.
Source: The Daily Yonder
RHS: Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program Change in Priority Projects Criteria
Federal Register
Mar 19, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS) amending the current regulation for the Multifamily Family Housing (MFH) Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP). These changes are designed to provide RHS with flexibility in its decision-making to fully address these evolving priorities in housing market demands without regulatory changes to the priority-points scoring criteria and improve the customer experience with more timely and proactive responses to housing market demands without frequent regulatory changes. This rule is effective April 18, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
RHS: Changes Related to Reserve Account Administration in Multi-Family Housing (MFH) Direct Loan Programs
Federal Register
Mar 18, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS) updating its regulations and implementing changes related to the administration of property reserve accounts under the Multi-Family Housing (MFH) section 515, Rural Rental Housing (RRH), and section 514, 516 Farm Labor Housing (FLH) programs in order to increase flexibility in project refinancing for additional capital improvements. This rule is effective April 17, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 18, 2024 - The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is accepting applications for subsequent Section 514 Off-Farm Labor Housing (Off-FLH) loans and subsequent Section 516 Off-FLH grants to improve, repair, or make modifications to existing Off-Farm Labor Housing Properties for fiscal year 2024. This program aims to increase the supply of affordable housing for farm laborers. Applications will be accepted until June 18, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 11, 2024 - Describes how a conventional mobile home park became a
resident-owed community that offers affordable housing
options in rural Minnesota.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Mar 2, 2024 - Highlights a rural California town introducing a shade equity master plan to address the dangers of extreme heat. Discusses rural specific issues such as limited infrastructure and unsafe homes that make heat burden unequally experienced. Notes the disparate impact felt by farmworkers in this agriculture-heavy region.
Source: AP News