Illinois

Rural Illinoisans who were affected by the severe storm and tornado on March 10, 2026 in Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, and Will counties can talk in person with a representative about U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster recovery loans. Locations of recovery resource centers are listed online HERE. The deadline to apply for Physical Damage loans is June 8, 2026.

PUBLIC NOTICE Area Rural in Character Provision Statutory SEC. 343 [7 U.S.C. 1991] (a)(13)(D) authorizes the Rural Development Under Secretary to, on the petition of a unit of local government, determine that a part of an area be considered rural in character (RIC) and therefore meet Rural Development’s population eligibility requirements. 

This notice must take place no later than 30 days after receipt of the petition or the commencement of the initiative, as appropriate. 

To be considered for the rural in character determination, an area must fall into one of two categories: 

1. an urbanized area with two points on its boundary that are at least 40 miles apart and that is not adjacent to a city or town with a population greater than 150,000, and/or 

2. an urbanized area adjacent to a city or town with a population greater than 50,000 that is within ¼ mile of a rural area. 

USDA Rural Development has received the following applications in consideration for Rural in Character designations: 

• California: 4209 Jessup Rd, Ceres, CA 95307 

• Illinois: - 3302 Apollo Drive, Champaign, IL, 61822, USA - 3402 Apollo Drive, Champaign, IL 61822, USA - Apollo Sub 2C - City of Champaign Lot 41-15-31-200-003 - City of Champaign Lot 41-15-30-400-004 

• Indiana: 4316 N 00 EW, Kokomo, IN 46901 

• Louisiana: 14485 Greenwell Springs Rd. Greenwell Springs, LA 70739-3311 

For more information, or if you have questions, contact Robert Canepa at robert.canepa@usda.gov.

View the notice here: https://www.rd.usda.gov/media/file/download/30-day-notice-rural-character-review-07092025.pdf