Rural Housing Service

The Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service (RHS), a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture within the Rural Development mission area, administers federal contracts and grants supporting rural housing, water infrastructure, and community development programs nationwide. RHS operates within USDA's broader Rural Development portfolio, which encompasses multiple lending and grant programs targeting rural populations and communities.

RHS awarded 68,449 federal contracts with a combined potential value of $4.36 billion since 1999, with $3.32 billion obligated to date (76% of potential value). Contract activity has declined sharply in recent years: 641 awards in 2022, 359 in 2023, 213 in 2024, 96 in 2025, and 98 year-to-date in 2026. The most recent award was recorded October 1, 2026. Among 4,390 distinct prime contractors, competition is highly fragmented. Boswell & Dunlap LLP leads by award count with 106 awards over the last five years (covering 17% of recent awards), while Chickasaw Business Solutions, LLC dominates by potential value with $34 million across 23 awards. However, the top vendors by value together represent only 2% of combined potential value—a signal that RHS transacts heavily through Schedule task orders, BPA calls, and below-threshold purchase orders where dollar values often go unreported. The set-aside portfolio is dominated by unrestricted procurement: 65% of awards carry no set-aside designation, while small-business set-asides (including 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, and WOSB variants) account for 34% of awards.

RHS distributed 259,658 federal grants obligating $10.8 billion in federal dollars (combined total with non-federal share: $11.5 billion) since its first recorded award. Grant activity has decelerated: 17,030 awards in 2023, 16,793 in 2024, 12,715 in 2025, 9,759 in 2026, and 3,961 year-to-date in 2027. The most recent grant award date recorded is July 30, 2027. Among 39,618 distinct recipients, concentration is highly fragmented by both count and dollars. The Reinvestment Fund, Inc. leads by federal dollars obligated at $163 million across 7 awards, while Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation tops by award count with 16 awards ($3.7 million federal dollars). The top five recipients by federal dollars represent only 2% of total federal obligated dollars. Nearly all grants (259,657 of 259,658) are Project Grants; the assistance-type mix is effectively 100% Project Grant.

Recent contract opportunities span agricultural research infrastructure, facility maintenance, and professional services. A Total Small Business set-aside for USDA-ARS Tifton Roofing Remodel (12C0BA26Q0011, due September 27, 2026) solicits roofing replacement between $250,000 and $500,000. An unrestricted RFQ for Demolition of Grape Genetic Research Unit Administration Building (12RADA26Q0017, closed September 25, 2026) targeted site restoration in Geneva, New York. Service and maintenance contracts for laboratory equipment, such as the LGC Genomics oKtopure DNA isolation instrument (12RADA26Q0015, due September 21, 2026) and multiple Bio-Rad PCR systems (sole-source notices issued August), reflect ongoing capital-equipment support. Short-term office rental RFQs for Rural Development service centers in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania and Southern Mississippi (12RADA26Q0008 and 12RADA26Q0010, both extended to September 15, 2026) represent facilities contracting. A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business 100% set-aside for Multifamily Physical Inspection Program (MPIP) assessment services nationwide (12RADZ26R0001, due August 26, 2026) is active after an initial pre-solicitation on August 4, 2026.

Recent grant opportunities target rural infrastructure and economic development. The Solid Waste Management Grant Program (SWMFY27, due December 31, 2026) funds technical assistance and operator training for solid waste reduction and landfill management, open to private nonprofits, public bodies, and Federally acknowledged tribes. The Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program (TAT-FY27, due December 31, 2026) supports water and wastewater solutions for rural associations, restricted to 501(c)(3) nonprofits with regional capacity. The Affordable Rural Cooperative Energy Program (RUS-ARC-2026, due November 20, 2026) allocates approximately $175 million under the Inflation Reduction Act to assist electric cooperatives in advancing nuclear power and efficient transmission, with RUS financing up to 75% of capitalized project costs. The Agriculture Innovation Center Grant Program (RBCS-2026-AIC, due January 31, 2027) supports value-added agricultural marketing assistance, open to state and local governments, higher education, nonprofits, and small businesses. The Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program Phase 3 (RD-RBS-26-03-MPPEP, due December 7, 2026) targets invasive wild-caught catfish processors to expand capacity and create rural employment. The Rural Housing Preservation Grant (USDA-RD-HCFP-HPG-2026, due September 8, 2026) assists very low- and low-income homeowners in rural repair and rehabilitation, with $2.09 million available for 2022 disaster assistance and $250,000 reserved for Puerto Rico.

The Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service provides grants and loans for housing and community facilities in rural areas of the U.S.