USDA is investing $243 million in 50 rural community facility projects in 22 states.

USDA is making the investments through the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program. The 2018 omnibus bill increased the Fiscal Year 2018 budget for the program to $2.8 billion, up $200 million from FY 2017.

More than 100 types of projects are eligible for funding, such as schools, health care facilities, libraries and infrastructure improvements. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally and state-recognized Native American tribes in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less. There is no limit on the size of the loans. Loan amounts have ranged from $10,000 to $165 million. 

Awardees include:

Projects are being announced in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

In April, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett said USDA will prioritize investments to address the opioid crisis in rural communities. In the Community Facilities Grant Program rural communities, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized tribes can apply through the usual Community Facilities grant application process for grants up to $150,000 for innovative projects such as mobile treatment clinics. Community Facilities grants may fund up to 75% of an eligible project. 

Source: USDA Rural Development