United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Acting State Director for New York Brian Murray today announced that USDA Rural Development is investing $629,000 in loan and grant funding throughout five rural New York communities in order to equip, rebuild and modernize essential services. This is part of a national announcement where USDA is investing $185 million across 32 states. The investments will benefit 3 million rural residents.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in infrastructure improvements a priority,” Murray said. “These loans and grants will help rural communities invest in facilities and services that are vital to all communities, such as schools, libraries, hospitals and health clinics. They also will help rural communities continue to beat the COVID-19 pandemic as America builds back better and stronger.”
Background:
USDA is investing in 233 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Of these, 74 awards, totaling $4 million, will help communities with their long-term recovery efforts following natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and tornadoes.
The Department is making investments in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Below are examples of today’s investments in New York include:
- Town of Fowler This Rural Development investment of $190,000 in loan and $30,000 in grant will be used to purchase a plow truck. This new plow truck will replace a 2000 model year plow truck which has become unreliable and is at the end of its useful life. The new truck will serve the Town of Fowler and help maintain the town roads and highways to keep more than 2,200 residents safe.
- Village of West Winfield This Rural Development investment of $40,000 in loan and $20,000 in grant will be used to purchase a new 2021 Ford F-550 dump plow truck for the Village of West Winfield in Herkimer County, NY. This new plow truck will help maintain the village streets to keep the 826 residents safe and replace its unreliable 2009 plow truck.
- Village of Celoron This Rural Development investment of $54,000 in loan and $50,000 in grant will be used to purchase a 2021 John Deere backhoe with attachments. The new backhoe will help maintain the village roads and sidewalks to keep more than 1,100 residents safe.
- Village of Bolivar This Rural Development investment of $115,000 in loan and $40,000 in grant will be used to finance the purchase of a 2021 truck with salt dog spreader, snowplow and dump body, and Case 580SN backhoe. This snowplow truck will replace the unreliable 2017 truck and will serve the Village of Bolivar, NY in providing safe and properly maintained streets for more than 1,000 residents.
- Village of Camillus This Rural Development investment of $70,000 in loan and $20,000 in grant will be used to purchase a plow truck along with an attached snowplow and salt spreader. This new plow truck will replace the village's unreliable 2006 model year plow truck. The new truck will help maintain the roads and highways to keep more than 1,200 residents safe. In addition to sanding and plowing the streets in winter, the new truck will also be used as a general work vehicle to assist with assorted debris pickup and hauling various 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.
To learn more about Community Facilities Program funding opportunities, contact a USDA Rural Development state office. 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 . 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.