Stakeholder Announcements

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of funding for the Rural Development Voucher Program and set forth the policies and procedures for use of these vouchers to help rural residents find affordable rental housing. USDA’s Rural Housing Service is making $11 million in vouchers available to any low-income household (including those not receiving Rental Assistance) residing in a property financed with a USDA Rural Rental Housing loan that has been prepaid after September 30, 2005. The amount of the voucher shall be the difference between comparable market rent for the unit and the tenant-paid rent. The Rural Housing Service also outlines the process for providing voucher assistance to the eligible impacted families when an owner prepays a USDA Rural Rental Housing loan or when a USDA action results in a foreclosure after September 30, 2005. For more information, please see 36520 of the June 18 Federal Register, or go to http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-18/html/2013-14397.htm

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is accepting applications for grants to help rural communities finance reliable water and wastewater systems. PDF

The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013 signed into law on March 26 extends the eligibility of communities that were eligible for housing programs administered by the Rural Housing Service (Single Family and Multi Family Housing Programs) on September 30, 2012 to September 30, 2013. For all other Rural Development programs, USDA will use the 2010 Census data to determine eligibility for rural areas beginning on March 27, 2013. PDF

USDA Releases Report on the Definition of Rural for Determining Eligibility for Government Programs PDF | Report On The Definition of "Rural"

USDA today announced publication of a final rule to expand access to broadband service in rural areas. The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) regulation announced today finalizes interim rules issued in March 2011. PDF | Final Rule

On August 20, 2012, Rural Development announced the launch of an interactive web-based U.S. map featuring program funding and success stories for fiscal years 2009-2011. The data can be found at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RDSuccessStories.html PDF

Commerce News: Obama Administration Launches $26 Million Multi-Agency Competition to Strengthen Advanced Manufacturing Clusters Across the Nation PDF

Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program Announcement of Application Deadlines and Funding PDF

USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service announced in the Federal Register grant funds to be competitively awarded for the Household Water Well System (HWWS) Grant Program for fiscal year 2012 Announcement

USDA announces two Webinars on Anaerobic Digesters to Examine Finances and Technology planned for March 14, 2012. PDF

USDA Announces Teleconferences and Web Conferences for Stakeholders to Enhance the effectiveness of the Multi-Family Housing Program Annoucement | PDF