HAC would like to share the following announcement from USDA Rural Development about its community facilities. For more information, consult the link below for RD State Offices:

https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html

A RESOURCE FOR PROGRAMS SERVING RURAL VETERANS

USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities (CF) Program provides financing through direct and guaranteed loans and grants to units of local government, nonprofit organizations and Federally-recognized Indian Tribes for the development of essential community facilities is rural areas. These loans and grants may be used to support the construction, purchase, development or renovation of essential community facilities for public use in rural communities with populations of 20,000 or less.

These facilities include schools, libraries, adult and child care centers, homeless shelters, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation. All facilities funded with CF funding must be open to the entire community and cannot be limited to a particular group, such as veterans. So, as long as the services, which are described below, are provided to meet rural needs, including veterans, the funding can be made available.

Specifically, CF can provide funding for critical facilities and services to support homeless veterans (and others). For example, CF funding can be used to support local and regional food system projects, such as the construction of a food bank. This funding can also be used to renovate, purchase and install equipment to maintain a kitchen to prepare food and food services and to purchase vehicles for food delivery. Additionally, funding can be used to purchase a commercial van to deliver food to disabled veterans or to pick up veterans and other rural citizens and deliver them to a center where food is provided to them. The funding can also be used to construct a wheelchair ramp access for existing food banks which provide service to veterans and other rural citizens. CF funding can be used to develop or improve a rural community health center to improve access to critical health care services for veterans (and others).

For more information, consult RD State Offices.

The National Rural Self Help Housing Association reports that the following notice regarding funding for Section 523 has been distributed by the USDA national office.

February 8, 2013

Good Morning –

With appropriations still uncertain for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, it is critical that we be proactive as possible in planning and funding Section 523 Technical Assistance grants. We currently have $14.2 million available for Section 523 grants ($8.3 from the Continuing Resolution and $5.9 carryover). Since there is an immediate need to process applications, we will be taking the following steps to fund grant applications for renewal of existing grantees that are performing satisfactorily:

Existing performing grantees will be limited to a grant amount not to exceed their current grant. Funding of the grant application amount will be at 40% of the total amount. The balance will be obligated when additional funding becomes available. No increases in their grant will be considered. Because this is a partial funding and future funding is uncertain the following guidelines must be utilized:

• The grant agreement should be for two years and state the full amount of the grant request. Budgets, schedules and all other documents related to the grant should be considered as in the usual two year grant cycle.
• The grant agreement must be modified on the first page under the terms of the agreement, item (a) with the following two conditions:

1. 1. (a)(1) “This is partial funding in the amount of $_____________, with the $___________balance of the grant being subject to the future availability of funds through the Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Program and grantee remaining in full compliance with the terms of this agreement.”
   2. (a)(2) “The grantee will not start more than forty percent of the homes proposed under this grant during the first year of the grant. No other starts are authorized until additional funds have been obtained. This is intended to ensure that the homes constructed under this partial funding (40%), will be completed.”

At this time we will not be funding subsequent grant requests, pre-development grants or new grant organizations.