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The USDA Self Help Model

The USDA Self Help Model. Extending your reach to the nearly Unreachable. Key Players. T&MA orgs. USDA. Grantees. Families. The Grant & the Loan. A Section 523 USDA Technical Assistance grant, for two years, is available to non-profits, tribes or government entities.

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The USDA Self Help Model

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  1. The USDA Self Help Model Extending your reach to the nearly Unreachable.

  2. Key Players T&MA orgs USDA Grantees Families

  3. The Grant & the Loan • A Section 523 USDA Technical Assistance grant, for two years, is available to non-profits, tribes or government entities. • Section 502 USDA loans are available to those at or below 80% of AMI. This is a one-step construction to perm loan.

  4. The Grantee • Program management • Staff • Recruit eligible families • Acquire suitable building sites • Teach families to build their homes as a group • Track each family’s loan expenditures • Control & direct families & subcontractors

  5. Families • Learn and hone new skills • Commit to minimum of 30 hours per week per household • Work cooperatively on all houses • Follow the direction of the Construction Supervisor • Review requests for payments to suppliers and subcontractors

  6. Why • This program changes lives! • The participants have to be truly committed; have to learn to: Budget their time (and money) Set goals and achieve them Have pride in what they have accomplished Work together as a team Break many habits Make decisions as a team Endure: weather, setbacks, fatigue, etc. Succeed

  7. USDA Instructions & Regulations • http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/ Instructions (1944-I, among others) Procedure Notices Administrative Notices Handbooks and more

  8. Two-stage Grant • Pre-development Grant ($10,000) Feasibility Study Organizational Capacity/Experience Establish number of homes to build Determine land available Marketing plan to reach families

  9. Pre-development (cont’d) • Preliminary program budget (2 year) Roughly 15% of a modest new home times the number of homes to be built $170K X .15=$25.5K X 16 yields a total 2 year grant of $408,000

  10. Full Grant Application • Recruit families- must be 80% of AMI or below, 40% must be at or below 50% • Secure buildable lots • Develop house plans, spec’s and budgets • Hire Staff • Package loans • Formulate Group Labor Agreement (Families must perform 65% of labor)

  11. Construction • Construction Process • Train, supervise, schedule subs • Track Family Hours • Order Materials, track expenses • Quarterly Reviews with RD Funds used vs Budgeted Construction Schedule

  12. Grant Closeout • Five criteria: • Meet all 5 = Outstanding • Meet at least 3 = Acceptable • Number of houses actually constructed • 40% very low income served • Meet the 65% family labor requirement • Did TA costs remain within budget • Meet all other terms of grant agreement

  13. Positive Results • Families learn lots of building skills • Families have neighbors that will watch their homes when they are away • Schools have a more stable enrollment • New jobs have been created due to amount of subcontract labor hired and material purchased • Families tend to be more participative in community • Neighborhood will be well maintained • Community receives more tax money • Families earn great deal of respect from community • Great deal of money flows through local economy

  14. Four T&MA Contractors • Florida Non-Profit Housing, Inc. (FNPH) (863) 385-2519 • Little Dixie Community Action Agency, Inc. (LDCAA) (580) 326-5165 • National Council of Agricultural Life and Labor Research Fund, Inc. (NCALL) (302) 678-9400 • Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) (916) 447-2854

  15. Move-in Ceremony

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