WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s first-year accomplishments to help ensure that rural residents and businesses have equitable access to housing, health care, economic development and other essential services.
“USDA Rural Development has worked hand-in-hand with rural communities to Build Back Better and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Torres Small said. “Rural Americans are too often overlooked, and the diversity of rural America has long been ignored and marginalized. When rural Americans, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, zip code or economic status, have clean water, affordable homes, and good jobs, all of America is more likely to succeed.”
“When we think about building a more equitable food and agriculture system, we need to consider the needs of everyone, but especially those in rural communities,” said Theresa Greenfield, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa. “It’s become really clear—local and regional food systems are supported by rural communities. To help our nation thrive in the wake of the pandemic, we need rural communities filled with jobs, businesses, good housing, and opportunities for growth.”
Rural Development in Iowa awarded nearly $700 million in loans, grants, and loan guarantees in Fiscal Year 2021 for underserved communities and rural communities that have experienced persistent generational poverty.
- The Single Family Housing Program invested $274.2 million in helping families achieve the dream of homeownership, including investments for the purchase and repairs of homes by low and very low-income individuals and families living in persistent poverty areas.
- The Multi-Family Housing Program supported residents across the state with safe, affordable housing with an investment of $27.7 million.
- The Community Facility Program supported 149 projects to provide buildings, vehicles, and other crucial support to rural communities for a total investment of $79.5 million.
- The Water and Environmental Program invested $71.3 million in 39 projects to improve access to clean water and protect the environment in rural areas.
- Business programs delivered $66.9 million to 137 projects in rural businesses.
- Electric programs provided $176.7 million to maintain, expand, upgrade, and modernize Iowa’s infrastructure.
- Telecommunications programs invested $2.98 million in five grants for broadband, telemedicine, and distance-learning projects.
For example:
- The Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association is receiving a $410,000 loan to assist with smart grid technologies to convert their AMI system from Power Line Carrier to AMI Radio Frequency Communications Technology. Calhoun County REC is headquartered in Rockwell City and serves 1,700 customers through 758 miles of line in Calhoun, Greene, Pocahontas, Sac and Webster counties in west central Iowa.
- The city of Randolph is receiving a $332,000 loan to improve existing city sewer infrastructure. Improvements will be made to the lift station, flow measurement meter, and existing lagoon structures of the wastewater treatment facility to address inflow and infiltration issues.
- The city of Leon is receiving a $39,000 grant to purchase a public works vehicle. The vehicle will also include a snowplow attached and dump bed so that the community's streets, parks, trails, cemetery, and facilities can be properly maintained.
Rural Development offers several other types of assistance to groups that have historically had difficulty accessing financial and business markets and economic development assistance. For example:
- The Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant Program provides technical assistance to socially-disadvantaged groups through cooperatives and Cooperative Development Centers. USDA provides funding through the Tribal College Initiative Grant Program to 1994 Land Grant Institutions (Tribal Colleges) to help them make capital improvements to their educational facilities and to purchase equipment.
- Last fall, USDA invested $86 million in loans and grants through 218 projects to help support rural businesses and to invest in equity-building projects in rural communities. This included support to improve facilities and equipment at tribal colleges, to help improve housing for low-income rural residents, and to help local groups implement economic development projects. For example, Habitat for Humanity of Marion County received a $81,405 grant from the Housing Preservation Grant program. The funding will be used to make critical home repairs possible for very low-income residents of Marion County. These home repairs will consist of electrical and plumbing upgrades, overcrowding, and health and safety issues.
- Also in 2021, USDA began offering priority points to projects that advance key priorities under the Biden-Harris Administration to help communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, advance equity and combat climate change. These extra points will increase the likelihood of funding for projects seeking to address these critical challenges in rural America.
USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.7 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas in Iowa, call (515) 284-4663 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia. 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, 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.
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.
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