New York State Director Brian Murray today announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is investing more than $22.1 million in loan and grant funding across 23 projects in rural New York. This is part of a national announcement where USDA Deputy Secretary Dr. Jewel Bronaugh today announced that USDA is investing $1 billion to build and improve critical community facilities in 48 states, Puerto Rico and Guam. This infrastructure funding will increase access to health care, education and public safety while spurring community development and building sound infrastructure for people living in rural communities.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in infrastructure improvements a top priority,” Bronaugh said. “These loans and grants will help rural communities invest in facilities and services that are vital to all communities, such as health care facilities, schools, libraries, and first responder vehicles and equipment. When we invest in essential services in rural America, we build opportunity and prosperity for the people who call rural communities home.”
“These crucial investments will provide our rural partners with the vital tools their communities need,” Murray said. “We are proud to be a partner with these stakeholders and see USDA’s programs are making a difference in rural New York each and every day.”
Bronaugh highlighted 731 projects that USDA is making in five programs that will fund essential community services to help rural America build back better, stronger and more equitably than ever before. These programs include Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants, Community Facilities Loan Guarantees, Community Facilities Technical Assistance Training Grants, Community Facilities Disaster Grants, and Economic Impact Initiative Grants. The projects will finance emergency response vehicles and equipment; build or improve hospitals and clinics and help fund other essential community facilities. Bronaugh underscored the critical role that Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, had in fighting for additional funding for the Community Facilities Direct Loans, which made many of these investments in critical rural infrastructure possible.
Examples of projects in New York include:
- Village of Elmira Heights This Rural Development investment of $266,000 in loan funding through the Community Facilities Direct Loan program will be used to purchase a new Ferrara Cinder MVP Rescue Pumper Truck. This vehicle replaces the village's old truck that is at the end of its useful life. The new pumper truck will help to keep the village residents safe.
- Town of Clayton This USDA Rural Development investment of $200,000 in Community Facilities Disaster Grant funding will be used to revitalize a community center in the town. Upgrades include improving and upgrade accessibility to people of all physical abilities and include bringing the facility into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Village of Perry This USDA Rural Development investment of $420,000 in loan funding and $90,000 in grant funding through the Community Facilities Loan and Grant program will be used to purchase a Pierce Aerial Platform Truck for use by the village’s fire department.
- Perth Volunteer Fire Company This USDA Rural Development investment of $630,000 in loan funding through the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program will be used to purchase a pumper tanker fire truck. This new vehicle will be used to combat structural and other associated fires.
- Town of Wawarsing This USDA Rural Development investment of $45,000 in grant funding will be used to finance the purchase of a 2021 Ram 2500 Crew Cab, a 2019 Ram 5500 regular cab with a plow and a 2021 Ram 1500 regular cab for the town. These vehicles will be used to plow town facilities and serve the building department.
Background:
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less. For more information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities/community-facilities-direct-loan-grant-program.
Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) for a detailed overview of the application process.
The awards being announced today are being made in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, 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. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to 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.