Projects will Bring Clean Water and Energy to Underserved Rural Communities in North Carolina
RALEIGH, North Carolina., Aug. 15, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden announced a new slate of economic development projects to lower costs, create jobs and upgrade critical infrastructure in rural and Tribal communities, in North Carolina, participating in the Rural Partners Network (RPN) today.
USDA is awarding approximately $12.7 million in grants and loans to support 14 economic development projects that will help rural and Tribal communities address immediate needs and create sustainable economic growth. Many of these projects are the direct result of collaboration between community networks and federal RPN staff living and working in the communities.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has fought to win unprecedented resources for rural communities, and the Rural Partners Network gets them to the people who need them most,” Under Secretary Gooden said. “These latest investments help ensure every community in this country has clean water and energy, good jobs and a prosperous future.”
Projects will lower costs for families and small businesses, create jobs and expand business opportunities. Communities will use funding to transition to clean energy, modernize infrastructure, provide affordable housing and enhance community water and food supplies.
“We are announcing a new slate of economic development projects to lower costs, create jobs and update critical infrastructure in rural and Tribal communities participating in the Rural Partners Network today,” said Rural Development State Director Reginald Speight. “Many of these projects are the direct result of collaboration between community members and federal RPN staff living and working in the communities.”
For Example:
- In Bladen County, Bladen's Bloomin' Agri-Industrial Inc. will use a $150 thousand USDA Rural Business Development Grant to assist a healthcare provider to relocate to the Elizabethtown area to provide primary care and dermatological services for the county.
- In Bladen County, Gooden Village NC LLC, will use a $776 thousand USDA Multi-Family Housing Loan (MFHL) to assist in the transfer, assumption and rehabilitation of a senior Section 515 multi-family housing complex. The project consists of 24 one-bedroom units.
- In Columbus County, Chadwick Place NC LLC, will use a $981 thousand USDA MFHL to assist in the transfer, assumption and rehabilitation of Chadwick Place Apartments, an existing family Section 515 multi-family housing complex. The project consists of 20 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom units.
- In Columbus County, Berry Park NC LLC, will use a $559 thousand USDA MFHL to assist in the transfer, assumption and rehabilitation of Berry Park Apartments, a senior Section 515 multi-family housing complex. The project consists of 18 one-bedroom units.
- In Halifax County, British Woods NC LLC, will use a $618 thousand USDA MFHL to assist in the transfer, assumption and rehabilitation of British Woods Apartments, a senior Section 515 multi-family housing complex. The project consists of 24 one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units.
- In Halifax County, Scotland Arms NC LLC, will use a $620 thousand USDA MFHL to assist in the transfer, assumption and rehabilitation of a senior Section 515 multi-family housing complex. The project consists of 18 one-bedroom and two two-units.
- In Johnston County, Smithfield Hospitality LLC, will use a $6.3 million USDA Business and Industry Loan to assist in the acquisition of The Sleep Inn and Suites in Smithfield, North Carolina, which is a 3-story, 74-room interior corridor hotel. The borrower plans making improvements in the parking lot, update the breakfast area and repair the flooring, doors, and furniture.
- In Nash County, FirstWave Innovations will use a $457 thousand USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Grant to purchase and install a 378.8-kilowatt solar array. This investment will realize $38.8 thousand per year in savings and will generate 485 thousand kilowatt hours per year, which is enough electricity to power 46 homes.
- In Randolph County, W & S Farm LLC will use a $17 thousand USDA REAP grant to make energy efficiency improvements to its operation. This project will realize $3 thousand per year in savings.
- In Randolph County, Randolph EMC will use a $300 thousand USDA Rural Economic Development Grant to buy a pumper truck for the Farmer Volunteer Fire Department.
- In Robeson County, Woodfield Apts NC LLC, will use a $897 thousand USDA MFHL to assist in the transfer, assumption and rehabilitation of Woodfield Apartments, a senior Section 515 multi-family housing complex. The project consists of 28 two-bedroom and four three-units.
- In Robeson County, Brookside NC LLC, will use a $930 thousand USDA MFHL to assist in the transfer, assumption and rehabilitation of Brookside Apartments, a family Section 515 multi-family housing complex. The project consists of 10 one-bedroom and 22 two-bedroom units.
- In Robeson County, Rowland Rural Fire Department Inc., will use a $56 thousand USDA Community Facilities Loan to purchase fire equipment for the Rowland Rural Fire Department Inc. The purchase will consist of truck equipment to include turnout gear, portable radios, vehicle radios, and pagers.
Nationwide, USDA is awarding approximately $49 million in grants and loans to support 59 economic development projects that will help rural and Tribal communities address immediate needs and create sustainable economic growth. Many of these projects are the direct result of collaboration between community networks and federal RPN staff living and working in the communities.
View the full list of investments online.
These investments come a week after the White House announced a memorandum of understanding that formalizes the relationship between government and philanthropy to provide a strategic focus on rural communities that addresses barriers to accessing federal programs with a specific focus on advancing equity and prosperity in rural America. This partnership will enhance RPN’s work by helping communities develop applications, plan projects, and leverage pre-development expenses and matching funds.
Background: Rural Partners Network
The Biden-Harris Administration launched the network in April 2022 to ensure people in historically underserved communities receive their fair share of funding from federal agencies. Since then, USDA has provided more than $1 billion to support thousands of economic development projects in RPN communities.
The Rural Partners Network is now active in 36 community networks in 10 states and Puerto Rico.
Community networks receive support from full-time USDA staff who live and work locally. These staff members provide technical assistance based on each community’s needs, helping them navigate federal programs, build relationships and apply for funding. In addition to USDA staff, there are staff at more than 20 other federal agencies dedicated to RPN and making resources across the government easier to access for people in rural communities.
RPN communities also benefit from coordination through other federal efforts such as the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization and President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and Investing in America agenda. The Rural Prosperity Interagency Policy Council, co-led by the White House Domestic Policy Council and USDA, advises the RPN program and ensures rural voices are heard and reflected in national policies that will benefit all people in rural communities.
For more information on RPN, visit Rural.gov.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans 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, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber Page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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