COMMUNITY FACILITIES DIRECT LOANS AND GRANTS

PURPOSE		Provide financial assistance to develop essential public community facilities in rural areas up to 20,000 population. Provide loan and grant funds for projects serving the most financially needy communities.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS		Public body such as a city, county, district, or other political subdivision. An organization operated on a not-for-profit basis such as an association, cooperative, or private corporation. Federally recognized Indian tribe.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS		Must have broad based community support. Applicant must be unable to obtain all needed credit elsewhere. Leveraging is encouraged Applicant must have legal authority and responsibility to own, construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facility. Must be necessary for orderly community development and consistent with the State's strategic plan.
ELIGIBLE PURPOSES		Construct, enlarge, extend or improve essential community facilities for health services, public safety and public services. To obtain necessary equipment for the operation of these facilities. Reasonable fees such as: engineering, legal, administrative, environmental analysis, surveys, and planning. Costs of acquiring interest in land; rights, such as water rights, leases, permits, rights-of-way, etc.
ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES		Fire, rescue and public safety (fire stations, fire & rescue equipment, jails, police stations) Health services (clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living, group homes) Community, social or cultural services (libraries, schools, day care, museums) Transportation facilities (bridges, roads, airports, parking facilities) Telecommunication equipment (telemedicine and distance learning) Natural gas distribution. Support structures for rural electric and telephone systems. (when not eligible for RUS)
SECURITY		Loans will be secured by the best security position practicable in a manner that will adequately protect the interest of the Government. Bonds or notes pledging taxes, assessments, or revenues may be accepted as security if they meet statutory requirements. A mortgage may also be taken on the organization's facilities when state law permits.
INTEREST RATES		Interest rates are set periodically. Once a loan is approved the rate remains fixed for the term of the loan. Are dependent on the median household income for the service area and health or sanitary standards. (check with the Rural Development Area Office for current rates).
TERMS		Maximum term on all loans is 40 years. However, no repayment period will exceed any statuary limitation on the organization's borrowing authority nor the useful life of the facility or improvement to be financed.
GRANT FUNDS		Available on a graduated scale based upon the Median Household Income and population of the service area, as well as the repayment ability of the facility. Available where the Median Household Income for the service area is below $22,590. Grant funds are very limited and will only go to the most needy projects.
APPLICATIONS		Applications may be submitted at any time and compete for funding with other applications on hand. USDA Rural Development will advise the applicant in how to assemble information to determine engineering feasibility, economic soundness, cost estimates, organization, financing, and management matters in connection with the proposed improvements. For further information contact the USDA Rural Development Area Office serving your county, the State Office in Boise, or the website at www.rurdev.usda.gov (non-profits or public bodies, community facilities or regulations/instructions Part 1942-A and 3570-B).
OFFICES Blackfoot (208) 785-5840 Caldwell (208) 459-0761 Coeur d'Alene (208) 762-4939 Twin Falls (208) 733-5380		COUNTIES SERVED: Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Caribou, Clark, Custer, Franklin, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison, Oneida, Power, Teton Ada, Adams, Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Valley, Washington Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, Twin Falls

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