source:
  type: guide
  id: usda-hb-3555-1.6
  authority: USDA SFH Guaranteed Loan Program Technical Handbook HB-1-3555 ¶1.6 —
    Civil Rights
  description: USDA SFH Guaranteed Loan Program Technical Handbook HB-1-3555 ¶1.6
    — Civil Rights.
  coverage_tier: operative
obligations:
- id: usda-hb-3555-1.6-full
  canonical_id: usda-hb-3555-1.6-full
  section: USDA SFH Guaranteed Loan Program Technical Handbook HB-1-3555 ¶1.6 — Civil
    Rights
  type: do
  tags:
  - regulator-direct
  - usda
  - usda-handbook
  - corpus-expansion
  - tier-operative
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: USDA SFH Guaranteed Loan Program Technical Handbook HB-1-3555 ¶1.6
      — Civil Rights
    source_class: usda-handbook
    source_url: https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/hb-1-3555_consolidated.pdf
    snapshot_id: 0466acd1ea2d17a4
    fetched_at: '2026-05-25T14:10:13Z'
    content_hash: sha256:22ac6f998ff72578e318fca138ebe80fb18ae2fc701eb5936172f1842679a13a
    paragraph_quote: 1.6 CIVIL RIGHTS The Agency, participating lenders, and agents
      of participating lenders, including appraisers, must administer the SFHGLP fairly
      and in accordance with all equal opportunity and fair housing legislation and
      applicable Executive Orders. Below is a list of the pertinent Federal laws and
      Executive Orders, as well as a brief description and highlights. While lenders
      will be familiar with many of these requirements, they should carefully review
      applicable legislation and orders, especially if new to Federally- HB-1-3555
      (03-09-16) SPECIAL PN 1-5 Revised (06-24-22) PN 563 Guidance documents lack
      the force and effect of law, unless expressly authorized by statute or incorporated
      into a contract. USDA may not cite, use, or rely on any guidance that is not
      available through their guidance portal, except to establish historical facts.
      conducted programs. Agency staff should refer to RD Instruction 1901-E for guidance
      on relevant civil rights requirements. A. Major Civil Rights Laws Affecting
      the SFHGLP x The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) prohibits discrimination
      in the extension of credit on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin,
      sex, marital status, age, income from public assistance, or because an applicant
      has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Protection Act. An
      applicant or borrower who believes he or she has been discriminated by Rural
      Development for any of these reasons may write to the Secretary of Agriculture,
      Washington, D.C. 20250. x Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (also known
      as the Fair Housing Act of 1988, as amended) is enforced by the U.S. Department
      of Housing and Urban Development. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination
      in the sale, rental or financing of housing on the basis of race, color, religion,
      sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. x Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
      Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination by the Federal government on the basis
      of disability. An applicant or borrower who believes he or she has been discriminated
      by Rural Development on the basis of disability may write to the Secretary of
      Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. x Executive Order 11063 as Amended by 12259
      prohibits discrimination in housing or residential property financing for any
      Federally assisted activity against individuals on the basis of race, color,
      religion, sex, or national origin. B. Nondiscrimination Practices The applicable
      civil rights laws prohibit the denial of loans, services, and benefits provided
      under the SFHGLP to any person based upon race, color, national origin, sex,
      religion, marital status, familial status, age, disability, source of income,
      or because the applicant has, in good faith, exercised any right under the Consumer
      Credit Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1601). This applies to the Agency, participating
      lenders, and agents of participating lenders, including appraisers. Discrimination
      in employment practices is also prohibited. The Agency is responsible for providing
      guidance and oversight to participating lenders and their agents, including
      appraisers, to ensure procedures are consistently met. Important key areas are
      listed below. HB-1-3555 (03-09-16) SPECIAL PN 1-6 Revised (06-24-22) PN 563
      Guidance documents lack the force and effect of law, unless expressly authorized
      by statute or incorporated into a contract. USDA may not cite, use, or rely
      on any guidance that is not available through their guidance portal, except
      to establish historical facts. x Outreach. Information about the availability
      of the program and how to apply must be broadly disseminated, and the extent
      of the information, assistance, and courtesy extended to those who make inquiries
      must be consistent. x Application procedures. Application procedures must be
      fair and accessible to all potential applicants. x Determining eligibility.
      Equal rigor must be used for all applicants when verifying income, conducting
      credit checks, and allowing applicants to clarify information. x Making exceptions.
      Standards for offering exceptions must be applied consistently. x Loan terms
      and subsidies. Opportunities for any subsidies and favorable loan terms must
      be made available consistently. x Servicing. Loan servicing, including offering
      benefits and assistance, must be offered in a fair and consistent manner to
      all borrowers. x Liquidation and property disposition. Liquidation and any subsequent
      property disposition must be executed in a fair and consistent manner. Property
      disposition practices, like those outlined for outreach, must ensure that no
      person has an unfair advantage in acquiring foreclosed property. C. Reasonable
      Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities Participating lenders and their
      agents must make reasonable accommodations to permit persons with disabilities
      to apply for and benefit from Agency programs. Reasonable accommodations may
      include providing facilities that are physically accessible and effective communication
      and outreach tools so that all applicants can get good program information,
      for example, a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD).
  judgment: false
