Section 523 self-help technical asst(TA) grants

The Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service awarded Whatcom-Skagit Housing $1.002 million on May 11, 2026, under the Rural Self-Help Housing Technical Assistance program (CFDA 10.420). The grant funds technical assistance to enable very low- and low-income individuals and families in rural areas to build homes using self-help methods. Whatcom-Skagit Housing delivers construction expertise, homebuyer education, financial counseling, and community outreach to support self-help housing construction in the Bellingham, Washington region and surrounding rural communities. The award period runs through May 11, 2028. Whatcom-Skagit Housing is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization based in Ferndale, Washington, that operates exclusively as a prime recipient under USDA rural housing programs and holds no contracts outside federal funding. This is the third consecutive project grant the organization has received under the Rural Self-Help Housing Technical Assistance program, reflecting sustained federal confidence in its execution capacity.