About the Farmworker Housing Program
The Farmworker Housing Program is a low-cost loan program, in existence since 1995, which assists New York State’s agricultural industry by providing financing assistance to improve existing housing or construct new housing for farmworkers (whether seasonal or year-round). The Farmworker Housing Program is authorized under Article XI of New York State’s Private Housing Finance Law. Under this program, the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), acting through the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, enters into a Master Servicing Agreement with a participating lending institution (referred to as a "local loan administrator") to originate and service loans of up to $200,000 per year. These loans are provided to agricultural producers who apply to the local loan administrator and demonstrate that these program funds are needed to purchase, improve or construct farmworker housing. While HCR's seeks to provide loan funds for projects which will bring existing farmworker housing into compliance with applicable building codes (i.e., New York State Sanitary Code or New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code), loan funds may also be used for the new construction or the expansion of existing facilities.
The Farmworker Housing Program is administered by HCR and the participating local loan administrator with the cooperation of the New York State Department of Health and county health departments. Farm Credit East, ACA, which provides financial and other services to agricultural producers in New York State, has administered the program as local loan administrator since the inception of the program. Farm Credit East, ACA, recently contracted with HCR for an additional five year contract term (effective as of July 1, 2021) after its successful response to a Request for Proposals issued by HCR and received a new $15 million contract.
The Farmworker Housing Program Questions & Answers document available below provides additional information to assist interested agricultural producers who may wish to apply for a loan under the Program.