The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
RHS works with other federal agencies, and a number of both nonprofit and private organizations nationally, in order to pool resources to help America's rural residents most effectively.
The RHS National Office is located in Washington, D.C., and is responsible for setting policy, developing regulations, and performing oversight.
Specifically, the Farm Bill allows some areas with populations up to 35,000 to remain eligible until receipt of the 2020 decennial census.
Effective February 2, 2015, areas with populations greater than 35,000 no longer qualify for Rural Housing Program assistance.