State Director for Rural Development Joyce White today announced that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $17 million in educational community facilities construction and improvements in Georgia as part of the Department’s $291 million announcement.
“Community facilities improvements for educational services are like infrastructure investments in our workforce,” White said. “We are partners in investing in rural communities to ensure quality of life and economic opportunity now and for generations to come.”
USDA is investing in 41 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program. The funding helps rural small towns, cities and communities make infrastructure improvements and provide essential facilities such as schools, libraries, courthouses, public safety facilities, hospitals, colleges and day care centers. The two projects in Georgia are summarized below:
- At Andrew College in Randolph County, a $10.6 million loan will be used to construct additional student housing, renovate a historically significant campus building and refinance long term debt. The college employees about 80 people and is an important economic driver in its community.
- In Montgomery County, the Brewton Parker College campus will be purchased by Baron Real Estate Foundation with a $7.2 million loan and leased to the college.The college serves a diverse student body and is the largest employer in Montgomery County.
The projects announced today by the Department will help improve the quality of life in rural areas in Alaska, Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities program funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally and state-recognized Native American tribes. Applicants and projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less. Loan amounts have ranged from $10,000 to $165 million.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
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 services such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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