USDA Rural Development is providing tools and resources to help rural communities recover from the devastation brought by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The emergency procedures will provide additional flexibility for Rural Development borrowers and community partners to help them recover as quickly as possible and ensure they have what they need to rebuild their homes, businesses and communities.

“Our team at Rural Development is devoted to supporting rural communities ravaged by the recent hurricanes,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. “We are committed each day to the recovery effort, collaborating with federal, state and local partners to begin to rebuild.” 

USDA Rural Development has provided disaster recovery assistance by coordinating with private partners to restore utilities to rural communities in hurricane-affected regions.

Rural Development is helping businesses and utilities that are current USDA borrowers by considering requests to defer principal and/or interest payments, and to provide additional temporary loans. Current USDA single-family home loan customers may also qualify for assistance. Borrowers can contact their local Rural Development office to obtain information on potential assistance. Additional information may be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/services/rural-development-disaster-assistance. 

USDA Rural Development is partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is taking the lead to provide emergency housing for people who need it in these affected areas.

To find the nearest USDA Rural Development office, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; homeownership; community services such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit http://www.rd.usda.gov/. 

Source: USDA