Deadlines set for housing loans, grants

Application deadlines for rural rental housing programs are set in February, May and March.

* Direct rural rental housing loans deadline is Feb. 25. Loans are made directly from the USDA rural housing service to provide rental housing in rural areas for very-low or moderate income individuals or families, including the elderly and those with disabilities. Individuals, corporations, associations, trusts, Indian tribes, public or private non-profit organizations, consumer cooperatives or partnerships are eligible for the loans. Rental assistance for low and very-low income residents may be requested with the loan application.

* Housing preservation grants deadline is March 27. Grants are provided by the USDA Rural Development to public agencies, private non-profit organization and other eligible groups to assist homeowners in repairing or rehabilitating their homes. The grant recipient may also assist rental housing owners and cooperative housing complexes if they agree to make the renovated units available to low and very-low income people.

* Farm labor housing loans and grants deadline is March 27. Loans and grants to provide off-farm housing for farm worker households. Public agencies, such as area housing authorities, and area or state units of government are eligible, along with broadly based non-profit organizations, non-profit organizations of farm workers, American Indian tribes and limited partnerships having a non-profit entity as the general partner.

* Guaranteed rural rental housing loans deadline is May 16. The USDA Rural Development will guarantee up to 90 percent of a loan made by traditional lenders to state and local housing finance agencies and bond issuers. Loans may be or new construction or the purchase and renovation of existing rural rental housing units.