WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2020 – The Trump Administration announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $24,175,000 to improve critical community facilities to benefit rural residents in Hawaii and Guam.
“Rural America needs safe, modern community infrastructure to help residents and businesses achieve greater prosperity and have access to essential services,” USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA continues to be a strong partner to rural communities, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Hawaii/Western Pacific State Director Brenda Iokepa-Moses is pleased to be a part of these investment opportunities in our rural communities. “Community Facilities is one of our programs that affects communities in a large way so not only is the applicant the beneficiary but the entire community benefits!”
Brand announced essential community projects in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Background:
USDA is funding 256 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. These investments will be for such purposes as to build or upgrade schools, libraries, clinics, and public safety facilities. For example:
- Rural Development’s investment of $21.7 million for the University of Guam Endowment Foundation will be used to fund two critical projects at the University of Guam. The first project will expand and renovate the university's student services center which has outlived its useful life and capacity. The second project will fund the construction of a new facility that will house a new school of engineering program that will offer a fully accredited degree in civil engineering. These projects will help address the university's growing student population as well as the demand for professional engineers in support of the military expansion in Guam and the region.
- A Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan of $1,775,000 to South Maui Learning Ohana will be used to provide additional financing to establish and build the Kihei Public Charter School (KPCS) in Kihei, Maui, Hawaii. KPCS is a fully accredited award-winning public charter school focused on STEM curriculum - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. In addition to the Community Facilities Direct Loan, it will provide the community and students of Kihei Charter School a new state of the art home for years to come.
- An investment of $700,000 for Special Olympics Hawaii, Inc. (SOHI) will be used to purchase equipment to support the new office location for SOHI. The result of this investment will increase SOHI's ability to deliver their program to the Hawaii community.
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, a detailed overview of the application process.
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.
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