Investments are Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson today announced the availability of grants to help repair essential community facilities that were damaged by the severe storm and flooding in December 2022. The facilities must be Franklin, Knox, Oxford, Somerset, Waldo, and York counties as delineated in the presidentially declared disaster areas.
“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA stand ready to deploy every resource we have available to help rural leaders and residents rebuild their communities,” Rhiannon Hampson said. “The assistance I'm announcing today will help those communities that were so badly damaged by the severe winds, rain, and flooding that devastated parts of Maine in last December’s storm. Under the leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris and Secretary Vilsack, USDA remains committed to helping America's rural communities build back better by making local infrastructure – including vital community facilities – more resilient in the face of increasingly severe floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and other risks.”
USDA is making up to $50 million in grants available nationwide through the Community Facilities Disaster Repair Grants Program, which received supplemental disaster funding under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Maine’s allocation will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds have been fully utilized. There is no minimum or maximum grant limit per project.
Eligible entities may apply to receive up to 75% of total project costs to help repair community facilities that were damaged by natural disasters in 2022. Eligible organizations include public bodies, federally recognized Indian Tribes and community-based nonprofits located in towns and cities with a population of 20,000 or fewer. Other population and income requirements may apply.
Example of essential community facilities that may be eligible are health care facilities; municipal buildings, vehicles, and equipment; public safety services; utility services, and local food systems.
Funds may be used to:
- Repair essential community facilities,
- Replace damaged equipment or vehicles,
- Purchase new equipment to undertake repairs.
For more information on how to apply, contact Bob Nadeau, Community Programs Director (robert.nadeau@usda.gov or 207-990-9124).
Background
The Biden-Harris Administration made this funding possible through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.
These funds are part of the series of disaster grant funds USDA is making available to help rural people in presidentially declared disaster areas who were impacted by natural disasters in 2022. Disaster grant funds will help rural communities repair water infrastructure and essential community facilities and help very-low- and low-income homeowners repair damaged homes.
Additional resources to support rural communities seeking disaster assistance are available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/rural-development-disaster-assistance.
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 our 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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