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State Director Highlights Investment in 2020 to Build Prosperity in Rural Pennsylvania

Name
Daniel Blottenberger
City
Harrisburg
Release Date

USDA Rural Development Pennsylvania State Director Curt Coccodrilli today highlighted the more than $1 billion in 2020 investments in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These investments are building prosperity and strengthening the state’s rural businesses and communities.

“Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA Rural Development has been unwavering in their support of our rural communities,” Coccodrilli said. “During these difficult times many rural Pennsylvanians leaned on USDA Rural Development for loans and grants and we answered their calls for assistance. My staff’s dedication showed in this year’s accomplishment numbers.”

Below are the highlights of USDA’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 accomplishments in Pennsylvania:

Improving Rural Infrastructure

Bolstering Rural Economic Development

Improving Rural Quality of Life

  • Invested more than $70.6 million through the Community Facilities Programs in rural infrastructure projects such as the construction and renovations of fire stations, a health and science facility on the campus of the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology and a prison facility in Fayette County. 
  • Invested $2,978,186 through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program for a telemedicine projects. This investment will benefit Pennsylvanians by providing distance training, learning and medical services to rural communities.  
  • Invested more than $767 million in direct and guaranteed loans and grants through the Single Family Housing Programs to help 5,360 low- and moderate-income families purchase a home or repair and rehabilitate their current home.
  • Invested more than $18 million in Multi-Family Housing Loan Guarantees
  • Invested more than $33.6 million in Multi-Family Housing Rental Assistance to help 213 families. 

Connecting Rural America to High-Speed Broadband

  • Invested more than $3 million in broadband through the Telecom Infrastructure and Community Connect programs. 
  • The Rural Utilities Service – Electrical Programs also invested $4.5 million in rural Pennsylvanian projects.
  • Invested $750,000 to support rural broadband expansion through the ReConnect Pilot Program. This investment deployed fiber-to-the-home broadband service in rural Crawford County. The funded service area includes 685 people, 34 businesses, eight farms, two educational facilities, two town halls, a post office and a fire station. 

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.

USDA Rural Development has 10 offices across the state to serve the 3.4 million residents living in rural Pennsylvania. Office locations include a state office in Harrisburg, along with local offices in Meadville, Mill Hall, Montoursville, Allentown, Lebanon, Carlisle, Greensburg, Butler and Tunkhannock. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/pa, call (717) 237-2153, or follow us on Twitter @RD_Pennsylvania.

If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

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