The RHS National Office is located in Washington, D.C., and is responsible for setting policy, developing regulations, and performing oversight. In the field RHS operations are carried out through the USDA's Rural Development offices. Rural Development State Offices administer programs in a state or multistate area. Local Offices process single family housing applications, assist District Offices with organizational applications and servicing, and provide counseling to applicant families and backup servicing as needed. The Rural Cooperative Housing Loan program is a variation on the RHS Section 515 Rural Rental Housing Loan program .
Cooperative housing allows a group of people to jointly own and operate their housing.
A cooperative housing corporation owns the housing, and each individual or family member of the corporation has the right to occupy a specified housing unit and to participate in the operation of the cooperative. The Rural Cooperative Housing Loan program is primarily a direct mortgage program, but its funds may also be used to buy and improve land and to provide necessary facilities such as water and waste disposal systems. Eligibility A cooperative housing corporation that is organized under the cooperative laws of the state or by a federally recognized Native American tribe is eligible to apply. Membership in the cooperative is limited to those households that have very low, low, or moderate incomes and to those who will be residents of the housing. Once eligible, owner occupants remain eligible, even if their incomes increase.