| WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $46 million to improve critical community facilities to benefit 363,000 rural residents (PDF, 169 KB) in 16 states.
“Rural America relies on safe, modern community facilities to ensure access to essential services such as education, health care and public safety,” USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Bette Brand said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA continues to be a strong partner with rural communities, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Brand announced projects today in Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Background:
USDA is funding 44 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. The investments can be used to build or upgrade schools, libraries, clinics and public safety facilities. For example:
· In Bowling Green, Ky., the Lewis Manor Assisted Living Community will use a $5.5 million loan to build 16 additional assisted-living units, bringing it to a 30-unit, 32-bed facility. The assisted-living facility has reached full capacity, creating the need to expand its services.
· In Sheboygan County, Wis., Lakeland University will use a $29 million loan to construct two residence halls. The university is open to the public, and the dormitories are used for public camps and educational housing when school is not in session. The new residence halls will accommodate 394 beds consisting of double and single units. Forty-eight units will be designed to accommodate triple occupancy when enrollment growth reaches anticipated targets.
· The Mt. San Rafael Hospital in Trinidad, Colo., will use a $2 million loan and a $50,000 grant to provide additional financing to renovate the facility and construct a 14-bed medical/surgical unit, a new Emergency Department with 10 treatment spaces, a new central utilities plant, and to purchase monitoring equipment for the Emergency Department.
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility details. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) a detailed overview of the application process.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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