Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing

What Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing does

Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing (ORFH) is a private, statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and nonprofit loan fund headquartered in Yakima, Washington, founded in 1978. It operates as a development consultant for affordable multi-family rental housing in rural Washington State, providing services at no direct cost to its partners. ORFH does not own or operate rental housing; instead, it supplies the technical expertise and project-management capacity that small rural public housing authorities, nonprofit corporations, and agricultural employers typically lack. Its service portfolio comprises Development Consulting, Rural Technical Assistance, and Policy and Advocacy, executed through a staff of approximately 15 led by long-tenured executives and credentialed (RHDFP-certified) housing developers.

ORFH's core offering is end-to-end affordable housing project delivery: market analyses, land assembly, identification of capital sources, financing applications and negotiations (USDA Rural Development Section 514/516, Washington State Housing Trust Fund, 9% LIHTC, Federal Home Loan Bank, HOME, and Capital Magnet Fund), loan closing, construction processing, project closeout, and management training. It also operates a low-interest pre-development loan fund for land options, architectural work, surveys, and soil testing incurred prior to construction/permanent financing. ORFH does not develop or sell proprietary technology; its competitive differentiation stems from regulatory program expertise, four-decade institutional knowledge of rural Washington conditions, and a roster of certified rural housing finance professionals. Output in FY2022-2023 included 122 units completed (maximum capacity 486), 325 units in progress (1,354 additional residents), and $102 million in development investment.

ORFH's revenue model is grant- and donation-funded rather than fee-based. It receives contributions from foundations and corporate donors (Enterprise Community Partners, U.S. Bank Foundation, Yakima Federal Savings & Loan, Bank of the West, Banner Bank, Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation), a U.S. Department of Labor contract under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act covering roughly 10% of annual costs, and pre-development loan repayments from its nonprofit loan fund. In FY2022-2023, $712,832 was reinvested to advance its mission. Customer segments are public housing authorities, nonprofit housing developers, and agricultural employers/growers; end beneficiaries include year-round and seasonal farmworkers, senior citizens on fixed incomes, people experiencing chronic homelessness, and individuals with disabilities. Geographic scope is rural Washington State, with growing visibility across the Pacific Northwest via the biennial Farmworker Housing Conference co-hosted with CASA of Oregon.

Name

Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing

Legal name

Office of Rural & Farmworker Housing

Website

https://orfh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ORFH is a Washington State 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1978 that provides no-cost development consulting, technical assistance, and pre-development lending to public housing authorities, nonprofits, and agricultural employers building affordable rural and farmworker housing in Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Development Consulting

akta.pro primary industry

Right-of-Way & Easement Valuation (BPAJAKAI)

Keywords

• Affordable housing development
• Rural housing consulting
• Farmworker housing services
• Community development lending
• Nonprofit housing finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Yakima

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: ORFH operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and nonprofit loan fund. The organization receives grants and donations from foundations (Enterprise Community Partners, U.S. Bank Foundation, Yakima Federal Savings & Loan, Bank of the West, Banner Bank) and government contracts. In FY 2022-2023, $712,832 was reinvested to meet ORFH's mission.
2. Government Contracts: ORFH receives government funding including a contract with the US Department of Labor and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act covering approximately 10% of annual costs for permanent farmworker housing work.
3. Pre-development Loans: ORFH offers low-interest pre-development loans for land options, architectural work, surveys, soil testing and other costs incurred prior to closing on construction/permanent financing. This functions as a nonprofit loan fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ORFH provides comprehensive affordable multi-family housing development consulting, rural technical assistance, and policy and advocacy services to public housing authorities, nonprofit corporations, and agricultural employers across rural Washington State. It also operates a nonprofit loan fund providing low-interest pre-development loans for land options, architectural work, surveys, and soil testing prior to construction financing closing.

Product overview

The Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing (ORFH) is a private, nonprofit affordable multi-family housing development consultant that offers a unified portfolio of services rather than a software product. The core offerings consist of Development Consulting (comprehensive housing development services for nonprofits and housing authorities), Rural Technical Assistance (preconstruction support for affordable multi-family rental housing), and Policy and Advocacy (representing rural housing providers in public policy). These services support the development of specific housing types: Permanent Farmworker Housing, Migrant/Seasonal Farmworker Housing, Senior Housing, and Homeless Housing. ORFH does not own or operate rental housing but provides technical expertise to help other entities develop affordable housing for low-income rural Washington State residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Development Consulting Comprehensive development services helping nonprofits, public housing authorities, and other organizations navigate and successfully develop community-based affordable multi-family rental housing for low-income rural residents in Washington State.
• Rural Technical Assistance Technical and preconstruction assistance for affordable multi-family rental housing in rural Washington communities, including assessing local housing need, analyzing project viability, land evaluation, identifying capital sources, and pre-development activities.
• Policy and Advocacy Represents rural housing providers in public policy by advocating for resources, working with public agencies to improve policies, and collaborating on housing policy issues affecting farmworkers and rural residents at federal, state, and local levels.
• Permanent Farmworker Housing Development Development consulting for new construction and preservation of affordable housing for year-round farmworkers and their families, including services for agricultural employers in Washington State.
• Migrant/Seasonal Farmworker Housing Development Development of housing specifically serving migrant and seasonal farmworkers, including on-farm and near-farm housing options for H-2A and seasonal workers in Washington State.
• Senior Housing Development Development of affordable housing for seniors over age 62 on fixed incomes, including formerly homeless veterans, in rural Washington State.
• Homeless Housing Development Development of permanent supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness, including those with physical or mental health disabilities earning less than 30% of Area Median Income, in rural Washington State.
• Pre-development Loans Low-interest pre-development loans offered through ORFH's nonprofit loan fund for land options, architectural work, surveys, soil testing, and other costs incurred prior to closing on construction/permanent financing for affordable housing developments in rural Washington.

Quantifiable outcome

• 122 units completed with 486 total capacity; 325 units in progress for 1,354 additional residents; $102 million total development investment

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• CASA of OregonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASA of Oregon co-hosted the 2023 Farmworker Housing Conference with ORFH in Hood River, OR. Conference had nearly 200 participants from five states.
• ZBA Architecture, PScoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerZBA Architecture, PS served as architect for multiple ORFH developments including Casa Mariana I & II, Meadowlark Senior Housing, and St. Catherine di Vigri Villas.
• MC Lundgren, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMC Lundgren, Inc. served as General Contractor for Casa Mariana I & II and St. Catherine di Vigri Villas developments.
• Environmental Works Community Design CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEnvironmental Works Community Design Center served as architect for Entiat Mountainview Homes development.
• Forte ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerForte Architects served as architect for Miller Park Permanent Supportive Housing development.
• RMC ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRMC Architects served as architect for Skagit County Seasonal Farmworker Housing development.
• TW Clark ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTW Clark Construction served as General Contractor for Meadowlark Senior Housing development.
• Faber ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFaber Construction served as General Contractor for Skagit County Seasonal Farmworker Housing development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Housing: National nonprofit that develops, finances, and operates affordable rental housing across the U.S. Mercy Housing operates at significantly larger scale but shares ORFH's focus on affordable multi-family rental housing for low-income and special-needs populations.
• BRIDGE Housing: West Coast-focused nonprofit affordable housing developer. Comparable mission of developing affordable multi-family housing; BRIDGE is larger and operates across multiple West Coast markets rather than concentrating in a single rural state.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit leader in affordable housing finance, development, and policy. Enterprise is both a major donor to ORFH and a broader-incumbent operator whose work spans housing development, lending, and advocacy at national scale — overlapping with ORFH's mission but at much greater scope.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit affordable housing developer and advocate. Habitat operates Washington state affiliates and pursues a broader homeownership-focused model, but shares ORFH's mission of expanding affordable housing for low-income households.

Direct peers

• CASA of Oregon: Oregon-based nonprofit affordable housing developer serving farmworker and rural communities. Directly comparable to ORFH — both are statewide nonprofits focused on farmworker and rural affordable housing development, and they co-host the biennial Farmworker Housing Conference.
• Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC): Multi-state nonprofit providing financing, technical assistance, and training for rural communities across the Western U.S. RCAC is a financing partner of ORFH (supporting Meadowlark Senior Housing) and serves a similar rural affordable housing mission across a broader geography.

Emerging players

• Washington Low Income Housing Alliance: Statewide advocacy coalition for affordable housing in Washington. Multiple ORFH staff serve on its Public Policy Committee, indicating overlapping policy/advocacy work; less direct overlap on the development consulting side.

Others

• National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO): National membership association for local housing authorities and redevelopment officials. ORFH serves as a technical assistance provider to many NAHRO-member housing authorities, making it an ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor.

Regional players

• Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation: California-based nonprofit that develops affordable housing and provides community development services for rural and farmworker communities in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Highly comparable farmworker/rural focus but operates in a different geography.
• Skagit County Community Action Agency: Washington State community action agency providing housing and social services in Skagit County. ORFH partners with Skagit-area housing authorities served by similar agencies; comparable rural Washington affordable housing mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-of-rural-and-farmworker-housing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing