Maria Calica

Maria Calica serves as a key procurement lead within the USDA Rural Housing Service’s Strategic Acquisition Division 2, where she manages the acquisition of specialized services critical to the integrity and compliance of federally assisted rural housing portfolios. Her work centers on securing appraisal, property management, legal oversight, and default resolution services that ensure accurate valuations, enforce lien rights, and facilitate lawful foreclosure proceedings. She plays a pivotal role in aligning procurement strategy with the agency’s mission to preserve rural homeownership through technically rigorous, legally compliant contracting. Her acquisitions typically involve complex, performance-based contracts requiring deep domain expertise in real estate standards and housing compliance frameworks. While specific contractor names are not currently available, Calica maintains a balanced procurement approach that engages both large-scale service providers and small businesses, fostering competitive bidding environments across the rural housing support ecosystem. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for long-term, task-order-based arrangements that enable responsive service delivery across geographically dispersed rural communities. She collaborates closely with legal and technical stakeholders to ensure vendor performance meets stringent federal housing compliance requirements. Calica consistently applies a 50% small business set-aside preference under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting goals. Her portfolio regularly includes opportunities for small businesses, including those certified under 8(a), HUBZone, and SDVOSB programs, reinforcing USDA’s mandate to expand economic opportunity in underserved rural areas. Her contracting strategy prioritizes equitable access while maintaining rigorous performance standards. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 531320 (Real Estate Appraisers) and 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services), reflecting her dual emphasis on accurate property valuation and digital systems that support housing portfolio management. She procures appraisal services compliant with USPAP standards and custom software solutions for lien tracking, default analytics, and automated compliance reporting, underscoring her technical expertise at the intersection of real estate law and information systems.