FLORIDA / U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

2008 PROGRESS REPORT

INCREASING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND IMPROVING 

THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RURAL AMERICANS.

www.rurdev.usda.gov/fl
LETTERS FROM

OUR OFFICIALS

For more than 70 years, USDA Rural Development’s mission has been 

to deliver a future that brings expanded economic opportunities and 

an improved quality of life for rural residents. My family’s heritage is 

deeply rooted in rural agriculture, and I will forever be proud of my rural 

upbringing. Also, having served eight years as Governor of an agriculture 

state, North Dakota, gave me a thorough appreciation for rural economic 

development. Serving USDA has been more than a job; it has been a 

personal commitment. For me, the future of rural America is my future as 

well. 

I have been proud to serve our Nation during these exciting and challenging times. I am 

confident that with the support of USDA Rural Development, rural America’s best days are yet 

to come. 

Rural America is changing. An estimated 60 million people live in 

rural areas and most of them don’t farm. Traditional rural industries -- 

agriculture, forestry, and mining -- are still important, but rural America 

today is diverse, vibrant, and growing. It is a place where world-class 

diagnostics can be made available to local health providers via the 

internet ... where biofuels, wind, and solar power are driving a revolution 

in renewable energy ... and in which millions of people, who in an earlier 

era would have fled to the city, find in rural communities a superior 

quality of life.

For USDA Rural Development, these changes represent both a challenge and an 

opportunity. Since 2001, USDA Rural Development has invested over $111 billion in 

business development, infrastructure, community facilities and rural housing. USDA Rural 

Development is approaching its 75th anniversary, and the prospects for rural America 

have never been brighter. It is truly a privilege to serve rural America, and because of that 

partnership, we can meet the challenges of today with confidence in a better tomorrow.

Rural Development has been helping families, businesses and communities 

throughout rural America for over seven decades, bringing safe drinking 

water to communities, and helping those same communities protect their 

natural environment through construction of waste disposal systems. Today, 

Rural Development is at the forefront in bringing telemedicine, energy 

projects, value-added agriculture, broadband, infrastructure improvements 

and housing to small towns and rural communities throughout the land. 

In fiscal year 2008 USDA Rural Development invested over $453 million in Florida and the 

United States Virgin Islands bringing our portfolio investment to well over $2 billion. The array of 

programs we offer enhances quality of life for rural citizens and strengthens rural communities 

by creating housing, infrastructure, and economic opportunities. Benefits for communities are 

multiplied when Rural Development resources are leveraged with our partners. 

Through our state office, six area offices, and two sub-offices strategically located across 

Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, we seek new opportunities to work with citizens, non-profit 

organizations, faith-based organizations, and local governments to ensure that our resources are 

effectively used to strengthen rural Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Let us know how we can 

help you.

RONALD G. WHITFIELD

STATE DIRECTOR

THOMAS C. DORR

UNDER SECRETARY

ED SCHAFER

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
 FLORIDA/U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS 

INVESTMENTS

AEOS SILVOS MELAOS

AMEGOIT MELS

SINGLE FAMILY

HOUSING PROGRAMS

AEOS SILVOS MELAOS

 AMEGOIT MELS

MULTI FAMILY

HOUSING PROGRAMS

AEOS SILVOS MELAOS

AMEGOIT MELS

BUSINESS/COOPERATIVE

PROGRAMS

OUR investments

In Fiscalyear 2008, rural

development secured

over $453 million in loans

and grants to fund local

economic development, 

water projects, emergency

response, energy, 

affordable housing, 

and other community

development projects

throughout Florida and

the U.S. Virgin Islands.

289.90

2.60 0.15 26.30 0.87 0.95 1.60 6.10 1.20

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

502 Guaranteed Loan

502 Hurricane Loans

504 Hurricane Grants

502 Direct Loans

504 Repair Loan

504 Repair Grant

RHLP

523 Self Help

EC/EZ

Millions

AEOS SILVOS MELAOS

 AMEGOIT MELS

COMMUNITY

PROGRAMS

1.98

7.60

2.70 0.30 0.30

30.90

0.23

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Guaranteed RRH LoanRental Housing Repair

516 Labor Housing Grant

514 Labor Housing Loan

Labor Housing Repair

Rental Assistance

Housing Preservation

Millions

30.40

1.90 0.11 0.03

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

B&I Guaranteed Loan

RBEG

RBOG

Renewable Energy

Millions

COMMUNITY

PROGRAMS

27.90

12.20

0.70 1.80 0.51

4.00

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Water & Waste Loan

Water & Waste Grants

W & W Guaranteed

CF Loan

CF Grant

CF Guaranteed Loan

Millions

502 Guaranteed HOUSING Loans

502 Hurricane HOUSING Loans

504 Hurricane HOUSING Grants

502 Direct HOUSING Loans

504 HOUSING Repair Loans

504 HOUSING Repair Grants

Rural loan home partnership

523 mutualself help housing

empowerment community

empowerment zone

guaranteed rural rentalhousing

loan

rentalhousing repair

516 labor housinggrant

514 labor housingloan

rental HOUSING assistance

housing preservation

business & industry guaranteed 

loan

rural business enterprise grant

rural businessopportunity grant

renewable energy

energy efficiency

water & waste Loans

Water & Waste Grants

Water & Waste Guaranteed Loans

Community Facility Loan

Community Facility Grant

Community Facility Guaranteed 

Loan
 

PROGRAMS

HELPING RURAL AMERICA MEET 

THE CHALLENGES OF TODAY AND TOMORROW

Rural Development delivers over 50 programs enhancing business development, housing, 

community facilities, water supply, waste disposal, electric power, and telecommunications. Rural 

Development also provides technical assistance to rural families, and business and community 

leaders to ensure success of those projects. The agency promotes economic development by 

supporting loans to businesses through banks and community-managed lending pools. In addition 

to loan-making responsibilities, the agency is responsible for the servicing and collection of a loan 

portfolio that exceeds $87 billion nationally. 

Housing Programs/Single Family

USDA has been helping rural Americans become homeowners since 1949. Whether through a 

Direct Loan from Rural Development, a Guaranteed Loan or through Mutual Self-Help Housing, 

homeownership strengthens families and communities. The Direct Homeownership Loan program 

is available to lower income individuals or families whose incomes are below 80-percent of the 

median income of the communities in which they intend to live. Guaranteed Loans are available to 

applicants whose incomes are below 115 percent of the median area income. The Mutual Self-Help 

Program, in combination with a grant program to nonprofit organizations and the direct single 

family lending program, allows families to provide a substantial portion of the labor involved in 

building their own homes, reducing the total cost of purchasing a home. 

Housing Programs/Multi Family 

Rural Rental Housing Loans are direct, competitive mortgage loans made to provide affordable 

multi-family rental housing for very low-, low-, and moderate-income families, the elderly and 

people with disabilities. Through the Rural Rental Housing Guaranteed Loan Program, Rural 

Development also guarantees loans made by other lenders for development of multi-family 

housing facilities in rural areas. The Farm Labor Housing Program provides decent, safe and sanitary 

low-rent housing to domestic farm laborers through loans and grants to states, local governments, 

non-profit organizations and others. Rental Assistance may be used in existing and newly 

constructed Rural Rental Housing or Farm Labor Housing financed complexes that are established 

on a non- or limited-profit basis.

Business Programs

Rural Development Business and Cooperative Programs deliver a variety of assistance to rural 

businesses and communities. All of them work in financial partnership with local economic 

organizations such as banks and lenders, economic development groups, local revolving funds, 

universities, municipalities, counties, tribes and utility cooperatives. These programs help close the 

gap in opportunity for under-served rural areas and populations, moving them toward improved 

economic growth by providing capital, technology, and technical assistance. The Business Program 

provides financial assistance and business planning and helps fund projects that create or preserve 

quality jobs and/or promote a clean rural environment. Business Program financial resources are 

often leveraged with those of other public and private credit source lenders to meet business 

and credit needs in under-served areas. USDA Rural Development has become a leader in the 

renewable energy revolution and offers programs in both energy efficiency and renewable energy 

programs to eligible agricultural producers and rural small businesses. 

Community Programs

Community Programs develop essential community facilities for public use in rural areas through 

Community Facilities Guaranteed Loans, Community Facilities Direct Loans, and Community 

Facilities Grants. Community facilities include schools, libraries, childcare, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public 

buildings and transportation. Rural Development provides financing for electric, telecommunications, and water and waste disposal services. Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan 

program helps communities develop water and waste disposal (including solid waste disposal and 

storm drainage) systems in rural areas and towns. The funds are available to public entities such as 

municipalities, counties, special-purpose districts, Indian tribes, and corporations not operated for 

profit. The agency also guarantees water and waste disposal loans made by banks and other eligible 

lenders. Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Grants help communities reduce water and 

waste disposal costs to a reasonable level for rural users. 

USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

BRINGS PEOPLE AND RESOURCES 

TOGETHER AND WE STAND READY 

TO ASSIST FLORIDA’S RURAL 

COMMUNITIES WITH HOUSING, 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, 

COMMUNITY FACILITIES OR 

WATER AND WASTE SYSTEMS.

we help rural americans

achieve their part of the

american dream
 FLORIDA/U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

SUCCES STORIES

DESOTO MEMORIAL HOSPITAL MEETS THE CHALLENGE 

The adage that every cloud has a silver lining would have been a hard sell in 2004 when 

Hurricane Charley devestated DeSoto Memorial Hospital in Arcadia, FL. But four years 

later there is reason to rejoice as the grand opening of the $20 million renovation/

expansion became reality on November 13, 2008. 

The hospital has come a long way since that day in 2004 when 36 windows in patient 

areas including the I.C.U., the Emgergency Department, Obstetrics and the Medical 

Surgical Nursing Unit were blown out by hurricane force winds of nearly 150 mph. 

Additionally, a 15’ by 50’ foot section of the roof blew off down to the deck causing 

massive water leakage, and virtually all of the building housing warehouse, purchasing 

and maintenance was destroyed, including many medical supplies.

The total scope of the expansionproject included the emergency department, surgery 

suite, medical-surgical unit, lobby, outpatient and registration areas. The emergency 

department expanded to almost double its former size, to 18 treatment areas separated 

by walls for privacy. The surgical suite now has a separate area for outpatients to 

be prepared and to recover from surgery that same day. The facility now features a 

large operating room for orthopedic surgery with its own waiting area. The lobby and 

waiting areas offer seating for admitting, outpatient testing, outpatient surgery and the 

emergency department. 

RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

INVESTED MORE THAN $450 

MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 2008 IN 

FLORIDA’S AND THE U.S. VIRGIN 

ISLAND’S ECONOMIES

“Accessibility to quality healthcare is an 

essential need of rural communities,” SAID

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS DIRECTOR MICHAEL

LANGSTON. LEARN MORE ABOUT 

USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT

BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE AT

www.RURDEV.USDA/FL

Financing of the DeSoto

Memorial Hospital

expansion and renovation

was made possible by a $20 

million loan from USDA 

Rural Development
TAYLOR COASTAL PROTECTS THE ENVIRONMENT

It was a time of celebration as communities across America marked the 38th anniversary 

of Earth Day. In Keaton Beach FL, Rural Development and Taylor Coastal Water & Sewer 

District joined forces in recognizing the occasion as well as local commitment to improve 

the quality of life and health of area residents while protecting the environment and natural 

resources.

Prior to 2005, the area had depended on septic tanks or small private owned “package 

plant” systems for wastewater disposal needs. These on-site systems posed sanitation 

and environmental hazards worsened by the high groundwater table and the low marshy 

terrain within Taylor County coastal communities. Additionally, many of the septic systems 

were damaged or destroyed by tropical storms moving through the area, and in some 

cases, these abandoned septic tanks were not properly deactivated, further increasing 

the potential of environmental hazards. Funding for the $4.8 million Phase I centralized 

wastewater system, that included new wastewater collection, transmission, treatment 

and effluent disposal systems for Ezell Beach, Keaton Beach, Cedar Island and East 

Cedar Island, was provided by USDA Rural Development, the Florida Department of 

Environmental Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency, Florida Office of Tourism, 

Trade and Economic Development, the Suwannee River Water Management District, and 

Taylor County.

In 2008, residents of Taylor County’s coastal communities had further reason to celebrate 

as Rural Development State Director Ronald Whitfield presented a $1.6 million check 

to Taylor Coastal Water & Sewer District officials for Phase II funding of the wastewater 

system, which will extend collection lines to the environmentally sensitive areas of Deckle 

Beach, Boggy Bay and Dark Island, eliminating an additional 100 septic tanks. The Rural 

Development $401,000 low interest loan and $1,202,980 grant is in addition to a $14,000 

Rural Development Predevelopment Planning Grant and an EPA State and Tribal Assistance 

Grant of $750,000 for the $2,368,000 Phase II project.

wORKING WITH rURAL 

dEVELOPMENT, RURAL 

COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE 

COUNTRY ARE UPGRADING 

HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, 

AND OTHER ESSENTAL 

COMMUNITY SERVICES AND 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

sINCE 2001, rURAL DEVELOPMENT 

HAS INVESTED $111 BILLION 

NATIONWIDE IN BUSNIESS 

DEVELOPMENT, RURAL 

HOUSING, INFRASTRUCTURE, 

AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES. “positive effects of this wastewater system 

will be realized through cleaner water, 

recreation and wildlife resources for years 

to come,” said Rural Development State 

Director ronald Whitfield.

 FLORIDA/U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

SUCCES STORIES
WHITE SPRINGS VISIONING DAY SETS STAGE FOR FUTURE

RURAL DEVELOPMENT IS 

COMMITTED TO THE FUTURE OF 

RURAL COMMUNITIES. 

THE FUNDAMENTAL GOAL IS 

TO ASSIST RURAL aMERICA IN 

SEIZING THE EXCITING NEW 

OPPORTUNITEIS ARISING IN 

RURAL aMERICA TODAY. 

“When propertly equipped, first 

responders have the greatest potential 

to maintain order, save lives and limit 

casualties in emergency situations,” 

said rural development state director 

ronald whitfield.

The Town of White Springs and Rural Development, as well as state and community 

partners, participated in a Visioning Day on June 24, 2008. The Visioning Day 

consisted of two parts – a community bus tour to acquaint participants with areas 

of need in the community, followed by a discussion forum led by representatives 

from Rural Development. Participants became familiar with the economic and 

community development environment in the town while acquainting local officials 

and community leaders about available programs and partnering opportunities. The 

Visioning Day fostered new partnerships between government, community and 

industry, and demonstrated ways in which better outcomes for the community can 

be achieved.

In concert with Visioning Day, White Springs took a significant step forward in 

improvements to the the town’s public safety operations. With $167,660 in funding 

assistance from Rural Development, the fire department purchased a brush fire truck 

and the police department purchased three police cruisers.

 FLORIDA/U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

SUCCES STORIES
DIRECTORY 

INFORMATION

4440 N.W. 25th Place (32606)

P.O. Box 147010 (32614)

Gainesville, Florida

(352) 338-3402

Fax: (352) 338-3405

TTY: (352) 338-3499

Area 1

932 N. Ferdon Blvd

Crestview, Florida 32536

(850) 682-2416

Fax: (850) 682-8731

Area 2

2741 Pennsylvania Ave

Suite 5

Marianna, FL 32448-4014

(850) 526-2610

Fax: (850) 526-7534

Area 3

2441 NE 3rd St., Suite 204

Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 732-7534

Fax: (352) 732-9728

Area 5

2629 Waverly Barn Rd

Suite 129

Davenport, FL 33897

(863) 420-4833

Fax: (863) 424-7333

Area 6

750 South Military Trail

Suite J

West Palm Beach, FL 33415

(561) 683-2285

Fax: (561) 762-1129

3434 Hancock Bridge Pkwy

Suite 209-A

N. Fort Myers, FL 33903-

7005

(239) 997-7331

Fax: (239) 997-7557

Area 3 Sub Office

5030 Anchorway

Gallows Bay, Suite 4

St. Croix, VI 00820

(340) 773-9146

Area 6 Sub Office

971 N. Duval St

Suite 190

Lake City, FL 32055-3736

(386) 719-5590

Fax: (386) 754-4139

Area 4

SANTA

ROSA

OKALOOSA WALTON

HOLMES JACKSON

CALHOUN

GULF

LIBERTY

FRANKLIN

GADSDEN

LEON

WAKULLA

NASSAU

DUVAL

ST.

JOHNS

CLAY

BAKER

BRAD.

UNION

HAMILTON

SUWANNEE

AIBMUL OC

DIXIE

LEVY

CITRUS

MARION

ALACHUA PUTNAM

FLAGLER

VOLUSIA

SEMINOLE

BREVARD

OSCEOLA

ORANGE

LAKE

SUMTER

HERNANDO

PASCO

HILLSBOROUGH

SALLENIP

POLK

MANATEE HARDEE

DE SOTO

SARASOTA

CHARLOTTE

LEE

COLLIER

HENDRY

MONROE

OKEECHOBEE

INDIAN

RIVER

ST. 

LUCIE

MARTIN

PALM

BEACH

BROWARD

DADE

Marianna

Lake City

West Palm Beach

Christiansted Frederiksted

ST. CROIX

Gallows Bay

ST. JOHN

ST. THOMAS

U. S. Virgin Islands

(Serviced by the Area 3

office in Lake City, FL)

ESCAMBIA

BAY

WAS I H NG OT N

AREA 1

AREA 2

AREA 3

AREA 4 Ocala

AREA 5

AREA 6

TSIRHCLIG

GLADES

Crestview

Davenport

MADISON

TAYLOR

LAFAYETTE

HIGHLANDS

Area Office Jurisdictions

Sub Office

N. Ft. Myers

NOSREFFEJ

Sub Office

STATE OFFICE

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, 

write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

Florida and U.S. Virgin Islands Office Locations

WWW.RURDEV.USDA.GOV/FL