Rural Development – Texas Office: USDA Invests in Rural Critical Community Facilities in Texas

TEMPLE, Texas, Nov. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development - Texas office issued the following news release:

State Director for Rural Development Edd Hargett today announced that USDA is investing $394,700 in Texas to improve critical community facilities in Texas. USDA is making the investments through the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program.

* "USDA Rural Development is pleased to provide this funding to Stonewall County Hospital District," said Hargett. "By utilizing the community facilities programs, projects such as these provide citizens of rural communities modern and reliable infrastructure."

* Stonewall County Hospital District is receiving a $394,700 loan to furnish the new nursing home with equipment throughout the new facility. The new nursing facility is expecting to open in January 2020. The district will have to obtain licensing from the state of Texas and this license cannot be obtained without the facility being furnished.

* More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities program 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.

* Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility details. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants, a detailed overview of the application process.

* USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs 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 areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

* In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force's findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a cornerstone recommendation of the task force.

* To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).