RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 7, 2025 – USDA Rural Development is kicking off the new year with a look back at the creative collaborations and milestone moments that helped put safe, affordable housing, reliable infrastructure, and critical emergency services in the picture for more Virginians in 2024.
“Over the past year, we invested $1.36 billion through nearly 1,500 loans and grants to meet the needs of rural people and remained in their corner through tough times such as when Hurricane Helene hit hard in Southwest Virginia,” said Perry Hickman, USDA RD Virginia State Director. “We’re in the relationship business and stay engaged at every stage of the journey to help our partners and clients finish strong.”
These highlights from our fiscal year 2024 annual report offer a panoramic view of activities and initiatives that made a positive impact in communities across the commonwealth:
- Putting Infrastructure Upgrades on Burst Mode. Virginia RD was third in the nation for investments to help expand access to a clean and reliable electric grid in remote areas of the commonwealth. The Rappahannock, Central Virginia and Shenandoah Valley electric co-ops received nearly $430 million in Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantees Program funding to build out and improve existing systems and implement smart grid technologies.
- Stabilizing Rural Business Initiatives for Success. Ammonium sulfate producer Advansix Inc. is using a $11.7 million Fertilizer Production Expansion Program grant to boost operational capacity at its Hopewell facility. Six Rural Business Development Grants will also be used to create revolving loan funds and finance educational/technical assistance programs and a feasibility study to grow Virginia’s grain economy.
- Balancing Exposure to Homeownership Risks. We helped more than a thousand Virginians become homeowners through our direct and guaranteed loan programs and closed out fiscal year 2024 with obligations for 91 loans and grants to help residents of rural communities remove health and safety hazards in their dwellings. In Halifax, RD has also closed on loans for five of 12 homes very-low- and low-income families will help construct in the spring of 2025 through a Southside Outreach Group Mutual Self-Help Grant
- Syncing Telecoms Projects with Local Needs. Virginia ranked among the top 10 states for telecommunications investments with seven new Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant projects funded to help three community colleges, two county school boards, one public school system, and one behavioral health and family services provider deliver community programs and instruction via videoconferencing.
- Sharpening Focus on Water and Waste Systems. Fifty-five years after Hurricane Camille carved a path of devastation through Lovington, RD unveiled a $2.2 million project funded through Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants to upgrade the village’s sanitary sewer collection system. The Woodway Water Authority also completed a comprehensive system upgrade that has dropped water losses from 75 to 13 percent.
“It has been my honor to lead our agency through a time of great growth and opportunity as we delivered a wide range of programs to help rural communities prosper and keep Virginia farmers growing strong,” said Hickman. “We face many unknowns in the year ahead, but one thing is crystal clear. Rural people can accomplish great things when they come together for a common purpose.”
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.
View our year-in-review video on YouTube and visit www.rd.usda.gov. to learn more about USDA RD programs. Sign up for regular updates via the GovDelivery subscriber page.
