New Funding Possibility for H2A Guest Worker Housing

One of the rules for using the H2A Temporary Agricultural Worker program is that housing must be provided, at no charge, to workers who live too far away from the worksite to commute daily, this includes almost all H2A workers. This farm-provided housing is also strictly regulated to conform to standards that govern the size, safety, livability, and overall quality of the residence. Clearly, housing is a major investment for growers who use the H2A program.

USDA, through the Rural Development Multi-Family Housing Program, has long been involved in providing low-interest, flexible-term loans for rural housing projects. The type of tenant who could be housed using this type of financing is limited and for a long time H2A workers were explicitly not eligible. Recently, USDA announced a significant change to eligibility, extending it to “to agricultural workers legally admitted to the United States and authorized to work in agriculture,” including H2A workers. This is a significant change and opens up a whole new funding option for farmers or associations who might consider the purchase, construction, repair or improvement of H2A housing.

USDA issued a brief press release on the subject, and an internal document on the subject is also available. Funding is now available and the application period runs until August 27, 2018, more details about the program can be found on this USDA site. USDA Rural Development operates local offices throughout New York and these are your first point of contact for questions and to apply for a housing loan.

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By Richard Stup, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
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