Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa, today met with staff at Maggie’s House Assisted Living and other local community members and officials to discuss an upcoming expansion at the facility that will improve healthcare opportunities for rural Iowans.
The expansion project is being assisted by a $300,000 Rural Economic Development Grant from USDA Rural Development that was recently awarded to Central Iowa Power Cooperative.
“Access to quality healthcare is critical for rural Iowans and the communities in which they reside,” said Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa. “Helping leaders in communities such as DeWitt identify ways to improve these opportunities for rural Iowans is an important emphasis at USDA Rural Development.”
Through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program, USDA Rural Development provides zero-interest loans to local and rural utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. USDA also provides grant funds to eligible utility organizations to establish revolving loan funds.
Central Iowa Power Cooperative will loan a total of $360,000, the $300,000 USDA Rural Development grant and $60,000 in matching funds, to help construct a new 32-unit, senior adult living facility for residents requiring assistance with daily activities.
There is currently a nearly 20-person waiting list at Maggie’s House for people requesting assisted living services that would allow them to remain near families and friends in the community. The new 26,000-square-foot facility is expected to cost around $4 million and will be a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units with supporting common areas.
Earlier this month USDA Rural Development announced additional REDLG funding to support rural Iowa cooperatives including:
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Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Albia, Iowa) - $1,000,000 loan to help Iowa Aluminum Inc., also of Albia, with a planned 33,000 square-feet facility expansion.
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Woodbury County Rural Electric Cooperative Association (Moville, Iowa) - $1,000,000 loan and $300,000 grant to help with an expansion at Char-Mac’s memory care facility in Lawton.
October is National Cooperative Month a time each year to focus on the multiple ways cooperatives empower communities and strengthen livelihoods. The versatile and democratic nature of the cooperative business model allows its members to collectively address many types of concerns such as affordable housing, local food financing, utilities including broadband, infrastructure needs, agriculture production, and job creation.
More than $50 million in REDLG funding has been awarded in rural Iowa during the past eight years, with a majority of the dollars assisting rural cooperatives.
USDA Rural Development’s funding continues to have a dramatic impact on rural communities across Iowa. Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has invested more than $4 billion on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities for Iowa families.
This past year USDA Rural Development’s assistance in Iowa helped create or retain more than 1,000 jobs, aided 2,400 families in buying their own homes and assisted more than 60 communities as they made improvements to their facilities, services and infrastructure.
“We are proud to serve the needs of rural people and places to ensure that rural America continues to thrive and drive the economy,” Menner added. “We are very happy to be a partner with all the communities we serve as they work hard to make investments that will impact many future generations.”
Contact USDA Rural Development
Residents, businesses and communities in Benton, Cedar, Clinton, Dubuque, Iowa, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Scott Counties are served by the USDA Rural Development office in Tipton. For more information please call (563) 886-6006 Ext. 4 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia.
USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.7 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a State Office in Des Moines, along with Area Offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has produced historic investment in rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have strengthened America’s small towns and cities and helped improve the nation’s economy.