The new Anne McManus Center was funded by over $4 million in USDA Community Facility loans and grants
AMHERST, MA, Nov. 22, 2024 – Today, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) State Director for Southern New England, Scott Soares, attended Latham Centers’ ribbon cutting ceremony for their new Anne McManus campus building. USDA Rural Development provided a 3.1 million loan and 1.875 million in grants through the Community Facilities program.
“For over 50 years, Latham Centers has served as the country’s only treatment facility for Prader Willi syndrome. The expansion of their campus — and the reach it will have — is an achievement not only for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – but for Southern New England and the nation as a whole,” said Soares. “USDA Rural Development is proud to have assisted in the realization of this new center, which will further opportunities, enhance our connection as a community, and deliver compassion and care for children and adults with specialized needs.”
Located on Cape Cod, Latham Centers has provided residential care, education, treatment for children ages 8–22, and adults 22 and over, since 1970. The center is internationally renowned for its success in working with students with complex needs, as well as those living with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a life-threatening disorder with no known cure. Latham Centers team of clinicians and teachers provide both short and long-term residential treatment to create opportunities for the PWS community nationally and internationally.
USDA funded this project through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program — one of the more than 70 programs administered through USDA Rural Development. The Community Facilities program funds a variety of essential community services, including emergency response vehicles and equipment.
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.
Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility details. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) for a detailed overview of the application process.
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. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, promoting competition and fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, 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.
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