Rural Development Program

The Commission's professional staff has had the pleasure of assisting local governments, special taxing districts and non-profit public service organizations within its five-county rural region in effective utilizing the direct loan and the newer loan guarantee provisions administered by the Rural Development Division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Community Facility Loans & Guarantees

Under this USDA program, general purpose local governments, special taxing districts and non-profit organizations within the five-county rural area are eligible to apply for below-market, fixed-rate, long-term loan funds which can be used by the applicant to construct, enlarge or improve essential community facilities. Such projects must be able to document that comparable financing at reasonable rates and terms is not available through other private sector credit sources in order to be considered.

Community facility loans (along with loan guarantees) awarded by USDA have traditionally been used to help finance essential community facilities (i.e., structures and equipment) that support the provision of rural health care, fire and rescue, community centers, assisted living and day-care services in distressed rural communities of less than 20,000 residents.

Recently, USDA has been offering small scale Community Facility grants to the area's most economically distressed rural applicants. Typically, such grants have been for up to $50,000.

Water & Waste Disposal Grants and Loans

Through this USDA program, special purpose rural water or sewer districts, non-profit public organizations and general purpose governments within the five-county rural area are potentially eligible to apply for grant and/or below-market, long-term, fixed rate loan funds. Such USDA resources can be used to construct, enlarge or improve essential water and waste disposal facilities (including those for solid waste) provided that comparable credit through private sector sources is not readily available.

Water and waste disposal grant and loans (as well as guarantees of bank loans) awarded by USDA have been used to help finance municipal or rural water district projects in distressed counties and/or rural communities of less than 10,000 residents. Grant funds are rather limited and therefore, are used exclusively in combination with USDA loan funds and then only when necessary to reduce monthly user charges to a level which is more affordable for the project's intended rural beneficiaries.

	General Commission Information
	Local Planning Services
	Local Technical Assistance
	Grant Writing & Management Services
	Business Development Financing Programs
	Other Data Links

A new, elevated water storage tank is erected supported via USDA funding.