Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant (FWHG) Program
Contact
Application, General Program, and Standard Agreements Questions
Serna@hcd.ca.gov
Loan Closing Questions
LoanClosing@hcd.ca.gov
For all Single Family Homeowner Grant Reporting, Disbursement, and Program Questions following Standard Agreement Execution:
Sernasfsgm@hcd.ca.gov
Program Details
- Purpose
- Assistance Type and Terms
- Eligible Activities and Applicants
- Program Statute and Regulations
- Get Funding — Current Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
- Previous Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs)
- Awards
- Reporting Requirements (Asset Management and Compliance)
- Program Forms
- Management Memos
- Training and Technical Assistance
View Multifamily Finance Super NOFA
Purpose
Finance the new construction, rehabilitation, and acquisition of owner-occupied and rental units for agricultural workers, with a priority for lower income households.
Assistance Type
Deferred-payment loans for multifamily housing new construction or rehabilitation and grants for single-family new construction or owner-occupied rehabilitation programs.
Assistance Terms
Multifamily Rental
New Construction or Rehabilitation Loans: Lien restrictions for assisted units are required for 55 years. Loans may be made in conjunction with low-income tax credit financing. New Construction or Rehabilitation Grants (Forgivable Loans): Lien restrictions for assisted units are required for up to 55 years. Grants (Forgivable Loans) may be made in conjunction with low-income tax credit financing.
Single Family/Owner Occupied
Homeowner Grants: For rehabilitation or new home construction, lien restrictions are required for 20 years. If the unit is sold to a non-farmworker buyer before completing the 10th year, the full grant amount must be repaid under most circumstances. Between the 10th and 20th anniversaries, the grant is forgiven at a rate of 10 percent per completed year. The grant is fully forgiven after completing 20 years.
Eligible Activities
Activities incurring costs in the development of homeowner or rental housing for agricultural workers, including land acquisition, site development, construction, rehabilitation, design services, operating and replacement reserves, repayment of predevelopment loans, provision of access for the elderly or disabled, relocation, homeowner counseling, and other reasonable and necessary costs.
Eligible Applicants
Local government agencies, nonprofit corporations, cooperative housing corporations, limited partnerships where all the general partners are nonprofit mutual or public benefit corporations, and federally-recognized Indian tribes.
(Multifamily/Rental) Eligible beneficiaries of the funds are households who derive, or prior to retirement or disability derived, 50% or more of the combined household income from agricultural employment.
(Single Family/Homeowner) Eligible beneficiaries of the funds are households with at least one person who derives, or prior to retirement or disability derived, a substantial portion of his or her income from agricultural employment.
Program Statute and Regulations
- Regulations (PDF)
- Uniform Multifamily Regulations (for projects funded after 11/15/2017)
- New! Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program Notice of Guidelines (PDF) (Update 2/25/21)
Get Funding
Applications are invited by issuance of a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), and are received and reviewed on an Over-the-Counter (OTC) basis per the NOFA.
For loan closing forms associated with the FWHG Program, check the Forms section.
Current NOFA
New! Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program NOFA - Round Two Augmentation and Tribal Allocation (PDF) –August 3, 2021
New! 2021 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Rental Housing Development Application (XLS)
New! 2021 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program Resolution Template LLC (PDF)
New! 2021 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program Resolution Template Sponsor (PDF)
New! 2021 Serna Tribal Listening Session Slides (PPT)
New! 2021 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Webinar Recording
New! FWHG 2020-2021 Augmentation and Tribal Awardees Funding List (PDF)
2021 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant
- 2021 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program NOFA (PDF)
- 2021 Serna NOFA Applications Received (PDF)
2019 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant
- 2019 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program NOFA (PDF)
- Local Jurisdiction & NEPA Verification Form (XLS)
- Single Family Application (XLS)
- Supplemental Application (XLS)
- Universal Application (XLS)
- 2019 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program – Resolution Template – LLC (DOC)
- 2019 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program – Resolution Template – Sponsor (DOC)
- 2019 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program Workshop Slides (PDF)
- 2019 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program Workshop Presentation Recording (YouTube)
- 2019 NOFA Applications Received (PDF)
- 2019 Serna Guidelines-FINAL 12.26.2019 (PDF)
New! 2021 FWHG Awardee Funding List
2019 Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Awardee List (PDF)
Please refer to HCD's Annual Report page.
Reporting Requirements
For Grants: Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Annual Report—The Contractor must submit a completed annual report each year by July 31 for the term of the contract with HCD. All Annual Reports shall be submitted to Sernasfsgm@hcd.ca.gov.
For Loans: Upon completed construction of your project and closing of your HCD permanent loan, oversight of your project and loan is transferred to HCD’s “Asset Management and Compliance (AMC)” section.
Upon completed construction of your project and closing of your HCD permanent loan, oversight of your project and loan is transferred to HCD’s “Asset Management and Compliance (AMC)” section.
Visit the Asset Management and Compliance’s Reporting/Compliance page to find:
- Your reporting requirements
- Forms
- Additional resources
- Who to contact if you have questions
Program Forms
Reporting Documents
- Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Request for Funds Form (XLS)
- Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant (FWHG) Quarterly Report (XLS)
Submission Documents
Check the list for Publications and Loan Documents pertaining to all NOFAs. See also Management Memos pertaining to the program. Check the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) under which your loan was funded for additional information.
Important Notice: The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is providing the following sample loan documents for general information purposes only. The Department reserves the right to make changes to its documents at any time prior to the closing of an individual loan. Final loan documents will be modified to reflect the specific terms and conditions applicable to the particular loan and property.
- Architect's Completion Certificate (New Construction) (DOC)
- Architect's Completion Certificate (Rehabilitation) (DOC)
- Article XXXIV Guidelines (PDF)
- Bond Financing Term Sheet (DOC)
- Certificate of Completion (DOC)
- HCD Closing Checklist (XLS)
- Cost Cert and Financial Reporting Requirements (DOC)
- Cost Cert Sample Form (XLS)
- Designated Payee Authorization Letter (DOC)
- Interest Rate Reduction Application Certification (PDF)
- Interest Rate Reduction Sponsor Process (PDF)
- Physical Needs Assessment - Fannie Mae Form 4327 (DOC)
- Physical Needs Assessment and Replacement Reserve Study Guidelines (DOC)
- Prevailing Wage Compliance Certificate (DOC)
- Project Construction Sign Requirements
- Project Funding Sources (Construction) (XLS)
- Project Funding Sources (Permanent) (XLS)
- Relocation Plan Implementation Certificate (DOC)
- Request For Funds Form (DOC)
- Utility Allowance Determination (DOC)
Management Memos
Training and Technical Assistance
At this time, there are no FWHG Training and Technical resources on the website.