Steve Thompson (202) 720-2446
sathomps.@rdmail.rural.usda.gov
Dan Campbell, (202) 720-6483
dan.campbell@usda.gov
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2000--Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Jill Long Thompson today announced that USDA is accepting applications to participate in the Rural Housing Service's (RHS) Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI). The recently-authorized initiative will help housing and community development organizations improve service to their customers.
RCDI is a $6 million grant program to help private, not-for-profit community-based programs improve rural economic development, housing, and community facilities, such as schools, daycare centers, medical clinics, etc. Qualified private and public (including tribal) intermediary organizations proposing to provide technical assistance to such projects are eligible to receive the funds. The application deadline is 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on June 15, 2000.
The grant funds may be used to provide technical assistance and training to recipient organizations. Participating organizations must provide matching funds from other non-federal sources in an amount equal to the amount of the grant.
Further information is available in a Notice of Funding Availability published by RHS and available from USDA Rural Development state offices and on Rural Development's website at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/rcdi/index.htm. Interested parties may also phone Beth Jones, at (202) 720-1498, e-mail her at: epjones@rdmail.rural.usda.gov, or write to her at: USDA Rural Housing Service, STOP 0787, 1400 Independence Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20250-0787.
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