DUTY TO SERVE Eligibility data

The Duty to Serve Program will award Duty to Serve credit for eligible activities that address the housing needs of very low-, low-, and moderate income families with incomes no greater than 100 percent of the area median income. Certain eligible activities are tied to specific high needs and high opportunity ar​eas as defined by the Duty to Serve regulation. These areas include:

• Rural areas
  
• Indian tribe areas
  
• High opportunity areas
  
• Areas of Concentrated Poverty
  

The Duty to Serve regulation has specific definitions for each of the high needs and high opportunity areas identified in the regulation.  This page identifies the specific geographies which qualify for Duty to Serve credit, for each particular definition.  For information on Duty to Serve loan performance and acquisitions, view the Duty to Serve Performance Data web page.

Rural Areas

FHFA's current  Duty to Serve regulation defines "rural area" as:  (1) a census tract outside of a metropolitan statistical area, as designated by the Office of Management and Budget; or (2) a census tract in a metropolitan statistical area, as designated by the Office of Management and Budget, that is outside of the metropolitan statistical area's Urbanized Areas as designated by the U.S. Department o​f Agriculture's Rural-Urban Commuting Area Code #1, and outside of tracts with a housing density of over 64 housing units per square mile for USDA's RUCA Code #2.  Effective July 1, 2023, amendments to the Duty to Serve regulation modify the definition of "rural area" to include all "colonia census tracts" that would not otherwise satisfy the definition. Below is a link to the specific geographies which meet the amended Rural Areas definition.

Indian Tribe Areas

The Duty to Serve regulation identifies members of a Federally recognized Indian tr​ibe living in Indian areas as a high-needs rural population that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may serve in rural areas. Below is a link to the specific geographies which meet the Indian Areas definition.

High Opportunity Areas

FHFA's Duty to Serve regulation defines residential economic diversity to include Enterprise activities that support financing of mortgages in high opportunity areas. High opportunity areas for purposes of Duty to Serve, include areas designated by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a "Difficult Development Area" (DDA), as well as areas designated by a state local Qualified Allocation Plan as a high opportunity area, whose poverty rate is lower than the rate established by FHFA. Below is a link to the specific geographies which meet the High Opportunity Areas definition.

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

FHFA’s Duty to Serve regulation defines residential economic diversity to include activities that support financing of mortgages in areas of concentrated poverty.  Areas of concentrated poverty for purposes of Duty to Serve, include a census tract designated by HUD as a Qualified Census Tract, or as a Racially or Ethnically-Concentrated Area of Poverty, during any year covered by an Underserved Markets Plan or in the year prior to a Plan’s effective date.  Below is a link to the specific geographies which meet the Area of Concentrated Poverty definition.

Small Financial Institutions

The Duty to Serve regulation defines “small financial institution” as a financial institution with less than $304 million in assets. Below is a link to the list of small financial institutions that meet this definition. The list consists primarily of depository institutions, credit unions and Community Development Financial Institutions. The list does not include non-depository mortgage banks. The list also includes several Agricultural Credit Associations (ACAs).

High Opportunity Areas Data

Areas of Concentrated Poverty

Small Financial Institutions Data

Interactive Maps

2023 High-Needs Counties Interactive Map	2022-2024 High-Needs Counties with Rural Tracts Map
2022 High-Needs Counties Interactive Map	2021 High-Needs Counties Interactive Map
2020 High-Needs Counties Interactive Map	2018-2020 High-Needs Counties with Rural Tracts Map
2018 High-Needs Counties Interactive Map

Page Updated: 7/28​​​​/2023​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​