How USDA Helps 

Rural Americans

USDA has the unique responsibility of coordinating

Federal assistance to rural areas of the nation. The

Rural Development mission is to help rural Americans

to improve the quality of their lives.

Each year, USDA Rural Development programs create

or preserve tens of thousands of rural jobs, build and

update rural infrastructure and create or improve more

than 60,000 units of quality rural housing. To multiply

the impact of its programs, USDA Rural Development

is working with State, local and Indian tribal governments, as well as private and nonprofit organizations

and user-owned cooperatives.

Rural Development programs are administered

through USDA’s network of State and local offices. 

Rural Housing and 

Community Programs

Decent, affordable housing is indispensable to vibrant

rural communities. USDA Rural Development’s

Housing Programs help finance new or improved

housing for over 60,000 moderate-, low- and very lowincome families each year. No rural community can

thrive without adequate community facilities, so USDA

Community Programs also help rural communities

finance, construct, enlarge or improve fire stations,

libraries, hospitals and medical clinics, industrial parks,

and other community facilities.

USDA offers direct and guaranteed loans to help very

low- to moderate-income rural households purchase,

construct, repair, or relocate homes. The Home

Improvement and Repair Programs provide loans for

very low-income homeowners to remove health and

safety hazards and make homes accessible for people

with disabilities. Elderly very low-income homeowners

who cannot afford to repay a Home Improvement and

Repair loan may be eligible for a grant. Through the

Self-Help Program, Rural Development provides funding to technical assistance providers who work with

groups of 6 to 10 families to build their own homes. 

Rural Rental Housing Loans finance construction of

rental housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families and cooperative housing for elderly or

disabled persons. Rental Assistance enables lowincome tenants to pay no more than 30 percent of their

income for rent.

Community Facilities Direct Loans, Loan Guarantees

and Grants are used to construct, enlarge, extend, or

otherwise improve community facilities providing

essential services in rural areas and towns.

Rural Utilities Programs

USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Programs

help to improve the quality of life in rural America

through a variety of loan and grant programs for electric

energy, telecommunications and water and waste disposal projects. Rural Utilities Programs leverage scarce

Federal funds with private capital for investing in rural

infrastructure, technology and development of human

resources.

USDA electric and telecommunications programs provide financial aid through direct and guaranteed loans

and through grants for distance learning and telemedicine programs.

The USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine

Program makes loans and grants to develop the

Information Superhighway in rural America by providing

broadband facilities to rural schools, hospitals and medical clinics. This assistance jump-starts the development and deployment of advanced telecommunications

services throughout rural America, bringing the latest

information and care to rural education and health service providers.

Committed to the Future of Rural Communities
Rural Utilities loans and grants help develop water and

waste disposal systems (including solid waste disposal

and storm drainage) in rural areas and towns with a

population of 10,000 or less. Grants also provide technical assistance and training, solid waste management

and emergency water assistance. The Rural Utilities

Programs on-site technical assistance program helps to

ensure the cost-effective operation of rural water systems.

Rural Business and 

Cooperative Programs 

USDA Rural Development works in partnership with the

private sector and community-based organizations to

provide financial assistance and business planning. It

also provides technical assistance to rural businesses

and cooperatives, conducts research into rural economic issues, and provides cooperative educational

materials to the public.

Rural Development Business Programs help fund projects that create or preserve quality jobs and/or promote a clean rural environment. USDA 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. Recipients of these

programs may include individuals, corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian tribes and private companies. Rural

Development Business Programs include Business

and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loans, B&I Direct

Loans, Intermediary Relending Program Loans, Rural

Business Enterprise Grants, Rural Economic

Development Loans and Grants, Rural Business

Opportunity Grants, and Rural Cooperative

Development Grants.

USDA’s Cooperative Programs helps rural residents

form new cooperative businesses and improve the

operations of existing cooperatives (user-owned businesses). To accomplish this, Cooperative Programs

provides technical assistance to cooperatives, conducts

cooperative-related research, and produces educational materials that promote public understanding of cooperatives.

1890, 1862 and 1994 

Land-Grant Institutions Initiative

This initiative is a cooperative effort between USDA and

historically black land-grant universities to develop

income-producing projects for underdeveloped rural

communities.

For More Information

Contact your nearest USDA Rural Development State

office or USDA Service Center. These are usually listed

in telephone books under U.S. Government,

Department of Agriculture

Or you may contact the National Office of USDA Rural

Development at (202) 720-4323. FAX: (202) 690-0311.

Write: USDA Rural Development, Stop 0705, 1400

Independence Ave. SW, Washington D.C. 20250-0705.

Website: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov

PA 1807

December 2004

Supersedes PA 1550: Creating New Opportunity for

Rural America

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits

discrimination in all its programs and activities on the

basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age,

disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital

or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all

programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact

USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and

TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA,

Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten

Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964

(voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider

and employer.