Award Information: View Michigan Rural Community Facilities Program  Loan and Grant Recipients

Key Dates:  USDA is accepting applications on an ongoing basis.

Program Information:  The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development offices award direct grants and loans for essential community facilities, such as hospitals; clinics; nursing homes; ambulatory care centers and vehicles; police and fire stations, vehicles and equipment; jails; communication centers; adult and child foster care centers; courthouses; airports; schools; libraries; etc. USDA will prioritize grants for public safety and health care facilities; very limited or no grant funding will be available for other rural facilities.

Grant Information:  Loans and grants are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as to nonprofit corporations and tribal governments in areas of up to 20,000 in population. Priority is given to applicants in rural communities with populations of 5,000 or less. For grant funding, the facility must serve areas where the median household income of the population is either below the poverty line or below 90 percent of the State non-metropolitan median household income, whichever is higher. Applicants must have the legal authority to borrow and repay loans, to pledge security for loans, and construct, operate, and maintain the facilities. They must also be financially sound and able to organize and manage the facility effectively. Repayment of the loan must be based on tax assessments, revenues, fees, or other sources of money sufficient for operation and maintenance, reserves, and debt retirement. Guaranteed loans are made and serviced by lenders such as banks, savings and loans, mortgage companies which are part of bank holding companies, banks of the Farm Credit System, or insurance companies regulated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Guaranteed loans may guarantee up to 90% of any loss of interest or principal on the loan.

For More Information:  Contact the Michigan Field Office that covers the county in which the city is located.