USDA Rural Development Announcements

2007 Income Limits

USDA Rural Development has updated the 2007 income limits effective April 12, 2007. The web link is http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/sfh/sfh%20guaranteed%20loan%20income%20limits.htm.

RHSManager users can access Project > Project Information and page down three times to see the Income Limits. Update the income limit table by entering the 100% median income for member 4 and press [Enter]. The system will prompt you to automatically recalculate the entire table. Edit any values as needed. Once you are finished, press [Enter] and save the changes with the effective date.

Student Eligibility

USDA Rural Development has issued their position on student eligibility in the January unnumbered letter basically adopted HUD's regulation on student eligibility. This web link accesses the announcement http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/ul/uljanuary07.pdf.

The RD student requirement takes into effect immediately. Students currently living in assisted housing and receiving RA will not be grandfathered in. Student households currently receiving rental assistance should be recertified. The latest that this new law can be implemented for these residents is at their annual certification.

Furthermore, RD has taken the position that if a household is made up of several students and one of them is an ineligible student, RA will not be prorated. The household will not be eligible to receive RA as long as the ineligible student remains in the household.

New security requirements for MINC

USDA is requiring all users of the MINC system to register and receive a "Level 2 Assurance" credentials in order to conduct transactions online with MINC. The Level 2 Access must be established on or before August 15, 2006. Please refer to the announcement "eAuthentication Requirements for the Multi-Family Housing's Management Interactive Network Connection System" that includes the step-by-step instructions www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/ul/ulmay106.pdf. This change will impact all MA (Management Agent) users who will need to personally go to an USDA Servicing Office to complete the credentials. They can go to ANY USDA Servicing Office - doesn't have to be a RD Office or their particular Servicing Office.