The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is the United States Department of Agriculture agency that was formed by merging the farm loan portfolio and staff of the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS). The Farm Service Agency implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster, and farm marketing programs through a national network of offices. The Administrator of FSA reports to the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation. The current Administrator is Richard Fordyce. The FSA of each state is led by a politically appointed State Executive Director (SED).
The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Located within the Department's Rural Development mission area. RHS operates a broad range of programs to provide moderate- low- and very-low-income Americans in rural communities with:
A VA loan is a mortgage loan in the United States guaranteed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The program is for American veterans, military members currently serving in the U.S. military, reservists and select surviving spouses and can be used to purchase single-family homes, condominiums, multi-unit properties, manufactured homes and new construction. The VA does not originate loans, but sets the rules for who may qualify, issues minimum guidelines and requirements under which mortgages may be offered and financially guarantees loans that qualify under the program.
Adjusted Gross Revenue Insurance is a term used in United States federal agricultural law referring to a revenue insurance program implemented in 1999 as a pilot program by the USDA, which continues on a limited basis. It allows some farmers to receive a guarantee of a percentage of their revenue for multiple commodities, including some livestock revenue, rather than just the revenue from an individual commodity.
In United States federal agriculture legislation, the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 was enacted in response to the severe financial crisis of the early- to mid-1980s, which affected both farmers and their lending institutions.
The Community Facilities Program (CFP), administered by the Rural Housing Service (RHS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides grants, loans, and loan guarantees to local governments, federally recognized tribes, and non-profit organizations.
The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972 or Con Act authorized a major expansion of USDA lending activities, which at the time were administered by Farmers Home Administration (FmHA). The legislation was originally enacted as the Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961. In 1972, this title was changed to the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, and is often referred to as the Con Act.
When a county has been declared a disaster area, by either the President or the Secretary of Agriculture, farmers in that county may become eligible for low-interest emergency disaster (EM) loans under the Emergency Disaster Loan Program.
Section 533 grants are a USDA rural housing rehabilitation program authorized under Section 533 of the Housing Act of 1949. The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is authorized to make grants to capable organizations for:
Section 524 loans are land acquisition and development loans in the United States that are authorized under Section 524 of the federal Housing Act of 1949.
Section 523 loans are a mutual self-help rural housing program in the United States authorized under Section 523 of the Housing Act of 1949 and administered by the Rural Housing Service (RHS). Nonprofit organizations may obtain 2-year loans to purchase and develop land that is to be subdivided into building sites for housing. The interest rate is 3% for these loans. Applicants must demonstrate a need for the proposed building sites in the locality. Sponsors also may obtain technical assistance (TA) grants to pay for all or part of the cost of developing, administering, and coordinating programs of technical and supervisory assistance to the families who are building their own homes. Each family is expected to contribute at least 700 hours of labor in building homes for each other. Applicants must demonstrate that:
Section 521 rental assistance is rental assistance authorized under Section 521 of the Housing Act of 1949. Owners of housing financed under Section 515 or Section 514 may receive rental assistance payments from the Rural Housing Service (RHS). The assistance payments enable eligible tenants to make monthly rent payments that do not exceed the greater of: (1) 30% of monthly adjusted family income; (2) 10 percent of monthly income; or, (3) the portion of the family’s welfare payment that is designated for housing costs. The rental assistance payments, which are made directly to the borrowers, make up the difference between the tenants’ payments and the RHS-approved rent for the units. Borrowers must agree to operate the property on a limited profit or nonprofit basis. The term of the rental assistance agreement is 20 years for new construction projects and 5 years for existing projects. Agreements may be renewed for up to 5 years. An eligible borrower who does not participate in the program may be petitioned to participate by 20 percent or more of the tenants eligible for rental assistance.
Section 516 grants are a USDA farm labor housing program authorized by Section 516 of the Housing Act of 1949. Qualified nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes, or public bodies obtain grants for the development cost of farm labor housing. Grants may be used simultaneously with Section 514 loans if the housing, for which there is a “pressing need,” will not be built without assistance from the Rural Housing Service (RHS). Grants may be made for up to 90% of the development cost of the housing. In a given fiscal year, up to 10% of the Section 516 funds shall be for domestic and migrant farm worker housing. Applicants must contribute at least 10% of the total development costs from their own resources or from other sources including Section 514 loans. Funds may be used to buy, build, or improve housing and related facilities for farm workers, and to purchase and improve the land where the housing will be located, including installation of streets, water supply and waste disposal systems, parking areas, and driveways as well as for the purchase and installation of appliances such as ranges, refrigerators, and clothes washers and dryers. Related facilities may include the maintenance workshop, recreation center, small infirmary, laundry room, day care center, and office and living quarters for the resident manager.
Section 515 Rural Rental Housing is a USDA rural housing program authorized under Section 515 of the Housing Act of 1949. The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is authorized to make loans to provide rental housing for low- and moderate-income families in rural areas. Though rarely used for this purpose, Section 515 loans may also be used for congregate housing for the elderly and handicapped. Loans under the Section 515 program are made to individuals, corporations, associations, trusts, partnerships, or public agencies. The loans are made at market interest rates, but are subsidized with an interest credit subsidy that brings the effective rate of the loan to 1%. Loans are amortized for up to 50 years and have terms of 30 to 50 years depending on when the loan was made.
Section 514 loans are a domestic, farm labor housing program in the United States, authorized under Section 514 of the Housing Act of 1949. They are the only nationwide program to provide housing for farm laborers. The Rural Housing Service (RHS) makes loans to farm owners, associations of farm owners, Indian tribes, or nonprofit organizations to provide modest living quarters, basic household furnishings, and related facilities. Loans may also be used to repair existing housing for farm labor use. The loans are repayable in 33 years and bear an interest rate of 1%.
Section 504 loans and grants are a USDA rural housing repair program authorized under Section 504 of the Housing Act of 1949. Under current regulations, rural homeowners with incomes of 50% or less of the area median may qualify for the Rural Housing Service (RHS) direct loans to repair their homes. Loans are limited to $20,000 and have a 20-year term at a 1% interest rate. Owners of age 62 or more may qualify for grants of up to $7,500 to pay for needed repairs that remove a health or safety hazard. To qualify for the grants, the elderly must be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere. Depending on the cost of the repairs and the income of the homeowner, the owner may be eligible for a grant for the full cost of the repairs or for some combination of a loan and a grant to covers repair costs. The combination loan and grant may total no more than $27,500.
Mutual self-help housing is a government program in the United States to assist groups of low-income families in building their own homes. Each family is expected to contribute at least 700 hours of labor in building homes for each other.
The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, authorizes the Farm Service Agency to make direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans to eligible family farmers.
The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, authorizes the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to make direct and guaranteed farm operating loans.
A USDA Home Loan from the USDA loan program, also known as the USDA Rural Development Guaranteed Housing Loan Program, is a mortgage loan offered to rural property owners by the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development.
