Rural Housing Service 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing a pilot for the Section 502 Direct Home Loan program to test alternative eligibility criteria related to community representation for Community Land Trust (CLT) organizations. The Agency intends to evaluate the impact of allowing eligibility criteria other than membership open to all residents of the geographic area which could meet the intent of the statutory requirements for CLTs to have specific community representation. This notification outlines the pilot parameters and provides contact information for additional details about the pilot.

The Community Facilities Loan and Grant program (Community Facilities) of the Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is consolidating the existing regulations that govern Community Facility direct loans and grants, fire and rescue and other small community facilities projects; as well as codifying the Tribal College Initiative, and Economic Impact Initiative grant programs that will incorporate all the necessary loan and grant making information into one streamlined final rule. The result will be an up-to-date comprehensive regulation that will be used to administer the programs. Community Facilities is hosting a virtual listening session to obtain stakeholder input on key proposed areas for changes and/or updates to the proposed consolidated Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant regulation. This session is open to the public.

The Rural Utilities Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Housing Service, agencies that comprise the Rural Development (RD) Mission Area within the United States Department of Agriculture, published a final rule with comment in the Federal Register on September 15, 2020, to establish the special authority authorized by Section 6210 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which will assist rural families and small businesses in gaining access to broadband service by permitting recipients of loans, grants, and loan guarantees from RD to use up to 10 percent of the amount provided to construct broadband infrastructure in areas not served by the minimum acceptable level of broadband service. The final rule described the procedures by which these agencies will consider projects eligible for special broadband authority. Through this action, the agencies are confirming the final rule as it was published and providing responses to the public comments that were received.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS) announces its' intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection and invites comments on this information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service, and the Rural Utilities Service, agencies of the Rural Development mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter collectively referred to as the Agency to request approval for a new information collection in support of compliance with applicable acts for planning and performing construction and other development work.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), proposes to amend the current regulations for the Single-Family Housing (SFH) Section 502 Direct and the SFH Guaranteed Loan Program. The intent of this proposed rule is to allow the Agency to give borrowers increased purchase options within a competitive market and increase adequate housing along with an enhanced customer experience with the SFH programs.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) mission area of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the availability of up to $50 million in grant funding through its Community Facilities Program (CF) to repair Essential community facilities damaged by Presidentially Declared Disasters in Calendar Year (CY) 2022, to remain available until expended. The supplemental disaster grant funding was received under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing this notification to waive four regulatory requirements for the Section 504 Home Repair Loans and Grants in a Presidentially Declared Disaster Areas (PDDAs) pilot program. The Agency's intention is to evaluate the existing regulations and remove regulatory barriers to assist eligible applicants in PDDAs to improve the program usage for very-low-income homeowners that are seeking to repair their damaged homes that are in PDDAs. This notification briefly discusses the four waivers and provides contact information for additional details about the pilot.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), agencies of the Rural Development mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter collectively referred to as the Agency, offer loan guarantees through four programs: Community Facilities (CF) administered by the RHS; Water and Waste Disposal (WWD) administered by the RUS; and Business and Industry (B&I) and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) administered by the RBCS. This notice provides applicants with the Guarantee Fee rates, Guarantee percentage for Guaranteed Loans, the Periodic Retention Fee, and Fee for Issuance of the Loan Note Guarantee Prior to Construction Completion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, to be used when applying for guaranteed loans under the guaranteed loan types listed above. This notice is being published prior to the passage of a FY 2024 appropriation. Should the fees need to be adjusted after passage of the FY 2024 appropriations, the agency will publish a subsequent notice in the Federal Register.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS) announces its' intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection and invites comments on this information collection.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Housing Service (RHS), as required by the National Environmental Policy Act, is issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to the preliminary affordability determination of minimum energy standards.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is correcting a notice of funding availability (NOFA) that was published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2023, entitled, ``Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2023.'' The Notice announced the acceptance of applications under the Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant Program for fiscal year (FY) 2023. The document contained an incorrect date. The purpose of this notice is to correct the application deadline dates published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2023.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service, and the Rural Utilities Service, agencies of the Rural Development mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter collectively referred to as the Agency to request approval for a new information collection in support of compliance with the grantee accepting the conditions of the award that the grantee intends to meet them within a reasonable time.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces that it is accepting applications under the Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant Program for fiscal year (FY) 2023. The FY 2023 funding amount is $1,265,000.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), proposes to amend the current regulation for the Multifamily Family Housing (MFH) Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP). The intent of this proposed rule is to align the current criteria of priority projects with the Housing Act of 1949. This change is expected to improve the customer experience with more timely and proactive responses to housing market demands and Administration priorities.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service, and the Rural Utilities Service, agencies of the Rural Development mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter collectively referred to as the Agency to request approval for a new information collection in support of compliance with applicable acts for federal debt credit reporting and employment verification.