Search Results for agency_names:"Rural Housing Service"

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, had planned a new rule regarding how credit reports are obtained for their Multifamily Housing Programs. This rule was initially set to go into effect on January 30, 2025, but the effective date has now been delayed until March 31, 2025. The delay is due to a presidential memorandum that called for a review of new regulations. This action allows department officials more time to review the changes without the need for public comments, as the delay is intended to ensure orderly implementation of the rule.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) of the USDA issued a correction to a rule published on January 3, 2025, related to amendments in the Single Family Housing Direct Loan and Guaranteed Loan Programs. Originally set to become effective on March 4, 2025, the rule's effective date has been delayed to May 5, 2025. This correction was published in the Federal Register and involves updates to improve and clarify the existing housing loan programs.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development (RD) division is changing its funding opportunities to remove references to the previous Administration's key priorities and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) criteria. This update follows an Executive Order titled "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing," issued in January 2025. Programs affected by this change will no longer consider these previous criteria for application scoring. Additionally, the Rural Energy for America Program's funding notice is corrected to include $50 million from the 2018 Farm Bill that was previously omitted.

The Rural Housing Service, part of the US Department of Agriculture, is accepting applications for the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) Grant Program for fiscal year 2021. These grants are awarded to intermediary organizations, which then provide financial and technical support to other groups working on housing, community facilities, or economic development in rural areas. Applicants must match the federal funds they receive, and the grants range from $50,000 to $250,000. The deadlines for application submissions are March 22, 2021, for electronic applications and March 29, 2021, for paper submissions.

The Rural Housing Service of the USDA issued a final rule to update regulations for Multi-Family Housing and Community Facilities, aligning them with new federal financial assistance guidelines from the Office of Management and Budget. Significant changes include raising the audit threshold to $1 million for certain federal financial assistance recipients and revising financial language to ensure compliance with OMB updates. Additionally, the rule clarifies exceptions and updates language in specific sections related to applications and financial reporting requirements. These changes are effective from December 6, 2024.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) of the Department of Agriculture announced updates to the competitive process for lenders submitting applications for the Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP). The updates include new scoring criteria focusing on priorities like maturing mortgages and Qualified Contract waivers, adjustments in scoring points, and changes to the application process such as requiring lenders to include closing dates and details about commercial spaces. Applications are being accepted continuously, and funding will depend on allocations provided by the Appropriations Act each fiscal year. The goal of the GRRHP is to increase affordable rental housing in rural areas by supporting partnerships between private lenders and public agencies.

The Rural Housing Service, part of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), announced that it is accepting applications for the 2021 Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant Program. This program aims to help organizations in rural areas access funding for essential community services. Applications must be submitted by March 29, 2021, for paper copies, and by March 22, 2021, for electronic submissions. The grants will focus on projects that strengthen rural communities, particularly those tackling issues like opioid misuse, under the USDA's efforts to boost rural economic prosperity and quality of life.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service, and Rural Utilities Service in the Department of Agriculture announced a correction to a previous document about loan guarantee rates and fees for fiscal year 2021. The correction added missing details specific to Alaska and clarified when certain fee payments begin. The original notice was issued on September 1, 2020, and the correction updates it to include all necessary information.

The Rural Housing Service of the USDA has issued a final rule to update smoke alarm requirements for housing funded through its Section 515 Rural Rental Housing and Section 514/516 Farm Labor Housing Direct Loan Programs. This rule aligns with the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which mandates that federally assisted housing units must have either hardwired smoke alarms or 10-year battery-powered alarms that are sealed and tamper-resistant, with additional notification systems for individuals with hearing loss. The changes aim to enhance safety in rural housing units by ensuring smoke alarms meet modern safety standards, and they apply from January 21, 2025. Feedback from the public was considered, but no changes were made to the final rule as a result.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) and other agencies under the U.S. Department of Agriculture are seeking to revise an existing information collection to ensure they comply with civil rights laws. This involves gathering data on the people served by RHS programs to verify that they receive benefits without discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. The information collected is used for internal monitoring and is shared with other federal agencies and Congress. The public is invited to comment on whether this collection is necessary, its burden, and ways to improve or reduce the burden, with comments due by March 15, 2021.