Off-Farm Labor Housing Direct Loans and Grants

This program provides affordable financing to develop housing for year-round and migrant or seasonal domestic farm laborers.

This program assists qualified applicants that cannot obtain commercial credit on terms that will allow them to charge rents that are affordable to low-income tenants. Borrowers must have sufficient qualifications and experience to develop and operate the project. 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*

*Eligible to apply for grants and loans

Housing may be constructed in urban or rural areas, as long as there is a demonstrated need.

How may funds be used?

Construction, improvement, repair and purchase of housing for domestic farm laborers is the primary objective of this program.

Funding may also be available for related activities including:

• Buying and improve land

• Purchasing household furnishings

• Paying construction loan interest

• For a complete list, see 7 CFR 3560.53

Who may live in the rental housing?

• Domestic farm laborers, including those working on fish and oyster farms and on-farm processing (1)

• Retired and/or disabled farm laborers

• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident

• Very-low- to moderate-income households (2)

What kinds of funding are available?

• Low interest loans

• Grants based on need and may not exceed 90% of project cost

What are the loan terms?

• Up to 33 year payback period

• 1% fixed rate

• An allocation of loan funds is also available for on-farm labor housing and is funded on a first-come, first-served basis

A two-phase application process starts with pre-applications. Selected pre-applications are invited to submit final applications.

Pre-applications are submitted electronically in the format described by the Federal Register Notice. For the currently open call for applications for repair projects, those instructions begin on page 6 (numbered 13379) if this Federal Register Notice.

If your pre-application is accepted, you will be given instructions on how to make a full application.

• Program Fact Sheet

• Federal Register