Find Rural Health Programs and Resources
The USDA has many programs and resources that can support rural communities improve their health and quality of life, but many programs do not have “health” in the title or description. To help rural community leaders and others to identify which USDA programs and resources can help improve a rural community’s health, a USDA Rural Health Inventory tool has been developed.
This tool is a curated library of active USDA’s programs and resources that support rural health. You can use the filters at the top to simplify your search in finding the programs and resources available by Sub-Agency, Program Type, or Assistance Type. Select the Rurality Requirement box to show programs and resources eligible for rural communities only.
Rural health programs are the emphasis, but this library is inclusive of all health programs.
Integrated food safety programs in NIFA support multistate, multi-institutional, multidisciplinary, and multifunctional research, extension, and education activities. Special emphasis is given to research describing multifunctional activities (for example, research that contains research, education, and extension components). The research component of the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative focuses on applied food safety research. The education component focuses on education and training in a formal classroom setting, which may include elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or graduate education. The extension component addresses education and training outside of the classroom. Where there is no extension program, outreach activities that deliver science-based and informational education to people in a variety of non-formal settings are appropriate.
This program provides loan guarantees to eligible lenders to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a public improvement, operated on a non-profit basis, needed for the orderly development of a rural community where the rural community is a city or town, or its equivalent county or multi-county area. The term “facility” refers to both the physical structure financed, and the resulting service provided to rural residents or rural businesses.
This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.
RUS provides funding for foundational infrastructure such as water and waste treatment, electric power, and telecommunications services. Together, these programs help expand economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for America’s rural residents.
Electric Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees funding may also be used for:
Financing for electric vehicles owned and used by a utility to deliver electric service (examples include emergency, crew, and service vehicles, among others)
RUS provides funding for foundational infrastructure such as water and waste treatment, electric power, and telecommunications services. Together, these programs help expand economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for America’s rural residents.
RESP funding may also be used by:
Utilities to finance consumer-owned EV charging stations, which the borrower then repays using an on-bill financing system. Note: The utility – not the consumer – applies for RESP funding.
RUS provides funding for foundational infrastructure such as water and waste treatment, electric power, and
telecommunications services. Together, these programs help expand economic opportunity and improve the
quality of life for America’s rural residents.
Electric Programs funding may also be used to:
Finance charging stations owned by utilities.
Finance economic development and job creation in rural areas. Business startups or expansion projects that create rural jobs.
This program provides 1 percent low-interest loans to local lenders or “intermediaries” that re-lend to businesses to improve economic conditions and create jobs in rural communities.
Create jobs/stimulate rural economies by providing financial backing for rural businesses. Uses include real estate, buildings, equipment, supplies, working capital, and some debt refinancing. Funding may also be used to assist a business or community in financing EV charging station equipment. Applies to retail and public use.
Fund renewable energy systems, including EV equipment for a REAP recipient's own business use (for example, to charge a fleet of electric vehicles).