Funding Will Support Public Safety and Community Infrastructure
BESSEMER, Ala., Jan. 26, 2022 – United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Dr. Jewel Bronaugh has announced that USDA is investing $1 billion to build and improve critical community facilities in 48 states, Puerto Rico and Guam. This infrastructure funding will increase access to health care, education and public safety while spurring community development and building sound infrastructure for people living in rural communities. In New Jersey, five organizations are receiving a total of $224,600.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in infrastructure improvements a top priority,” Bronaugh said. “These loans and grants will help rural communities invest in facilities and services that are vital to all communities, such as health care facilities, schools, libraries, and first responder vehicles and equipment. When we invest in essential services in rural America, we build opportunity and prosperity for the people who call rural communities home.”
USDA Rural Development New Jersey Acting State Director Brandon R. Pfeilmeier said, “Community Facilities Loan and Grants can provide the critically needed funds in economically distressed communities and communities affected by disasters. Each of these projects invests in protecting rural residents in emergencies and creating safer places to live.”
In New Jersey, five organizations have received a total of $224,600 in Community Facilities Funding as follows:
- Netcong Borough has received a Community Facilities Grant in the amount of $25,000 to purchase Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses with associated cylinders and face pieces for Netcong Borough's Fire Department. The current equipment will need to be replaced because it is outdated and could cause safety risks for the fire fighters. This new equipment will ensure that the fire fighters will be able to safely provide fire protection and first responder emergency services to the community.
- Borough of Bound Brook has received a Community Facilities Grant in the amount of $24,200 to purchase body cameras for the Borough of Bound Brook's Police Department. Due to the new mandate from the State of New Jersey, the body cameras will improve police accountability, officer safety and communication. The new cameras will also provide audio and visual evidence that can independently verify factual events when working in stressful environments.
- New Hanover Township has received a Rural Economic Impact Initiative Grant in the amount of $33,800 to purchase a fire department command vehicle. The township's fire department currently has an older vehicle with high mileage, physical damage, and is prone to mechanical failures. This new vehicle will allow the fire department to continue providing excellent service to New Hanover Township's 7,385 residents by responding to emergency situations quickly and effectively.
- Penns Grove Police Department has received a Community Facilities Direct Loan of $23,800 and Grant of $29,000. This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase new equipment for the Borough of Penns Grove's Police Department and Fire Department. The current equipment is outdated and has an increasing number of functionality and storage issues that are preventing the departments from effectively executing their duties. The Borough intends to purchase 20 Air packs with 45-minute capacity, 14 body cameras, and two tasers with accessories. This new equipment will allow both departments to respond to emergency situations quickly and effectively.
- City of Wildwood has received three grants as follows:
- A Community Facilities Grant in the amount of $42,600 will be used to purchase a new generator for the city of Wildwood's Water Utility Department located in the Park Avenue facility. The Water Utility Department does not currently have any alternative sources of power which leaves them vulnerable during natural emergencies. The generator will be used in emergency situations where the water utility plant loses power during inclement weather. Having a new generator will allow the Water Utility Plant to remain operational in emergency situations so that the city's 5,325 residents will continue to receive essential services when water systems are damaged.
- A Community Facilities Grant and a Rural Economic Impact Initiative Grant totaling $46,200 will be used to purchase a new 180 kilowatts generator for the City of Wildwood's Public Works Department. The Public Works Department does not currently have a backup generator, which leaves them vulnerable during times of flooding and power outages. The new generator will allow the Public Works Department to have access to alternative power if the facility loses power from the electrical grid during an emergency situation. Having a new generator will allow the Public Works Department to respond to emergency situations quickly and effectively.
Bronaugh highlighted 737 projects that USDA is making in five programs that will fund essential community services to help rural America build back better, stronger and more equitably than ever before. These programs include Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants, Community Facilities Loan Guarantees, Community Facilities Technical Assistance Training Grants, Community Facilities Disaster Grants, and Economic Impact Initiative Grants. The projects will finance emergency response vehicles and equipment; build or improve hospitals and clinics and help fund other essential community facilities. Bronaugh underscored the critical role that Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, had in fighting for additional funding for the Community Facilities Direct Loans, which made many of these investments in critical rural infrastructure possible.
Background:
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. For more information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities/community-facilities-direct-loan-grant-program.
Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility. 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, ensuring access to 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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