2005 NEBRASKA ANNUAL REPORT

$102.2 MILLION

MAKING AN IMPACT

IN RURAL NEBRASKA

Over $102.2 Million From

USDA Rural Development in Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

Impacted Rural Nebraska:

Community Facilities Direct Loans $3,381,000Community Facilities Grants $222,000Rural Community DevelopmentInitiative Grant $189,402Tribal College Grant Initiative $58,000Economic Impact InitiativeAdministrative Funds $67,300Economic Impact Initiative Grants $89,830

Direct Home Ownership Loans $9,597,512Guaranteed Home Ownership Loans $37,853,173Rural Home Repair Loans $388,756Rural Home Repair Grants $392,732Housing Preservation Grant $56,456Direct Rural Rental Housing Loans/Grant $2,035,224Rural Rental Assistance $6,933,300Water and Environmental Loans $8,033,000Water and Environmental Grants $3,813,400Emergency Community WaterAssistance Grants $4,570,200Telecommunications Loan Program $17,620,550Distance Learning Grant $561,900Business and Industry Loan Guarantees $3,575,000Rural Business Opportunity Grant $44,700

Rural Business Enterprise Grants $615,000Rural Economic Development Grants $400,000Intermediary Relending Loan Program $200,000Value-Added Producer Grants $1,113,540

Energy Efficiency Improvements Grants $368,518Renewable Energy Systems Grant $49,830

FY05 IMPACT $102,230,323

LEVERAGING of federal, state and local dollars allowedfor a greater number of rural Nebraska residents andcommunities to be served.

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

(402) 437-5551

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“USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer andlender.” To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA,Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 IndependenceAvenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

Scot Blehm, State Director

USDA Rural Development

Rm. 152 Federal Building

100 Centennial Mall North

Lincoln, Nebraska 68508-3888

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 “USDA Rural Development is proud to be a premiere advocate for rural Nebraska. The diverse programs we offer are intended to work in unison to improve the quality of life and socio-economic

 health of rural communities.My staff is devoted to working with rural Nebraskans to deliver programs that are integrated andefficient in meeting the needs of rural areas.We will continue to build relationships with local,state, and federal partners, as well as locallenders and investors, to position ourselves as a‘lender of first opportunity’ in rural Nebraska.As Nebraskans work together to make our stategreat, it is important to reflect on our past andfuture economic challenges so as to reaffirm ourcommitment. Rural-urban linkages that can beformed via our programs will be instrumental isthis goal. We will continue to identify and deliverprograms that adapt to the changing needs ofour rural citizens.USDA Rural Development remains firmly“Committed to the Future of Rural Communities”. E. SCOT BLEHM, STATE DIRECTOR
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RURAL HOUSING PROGRAMS

 $57,257,153

Direct Home Ownership Loans assist very-low and lowincome rural residents to purchase, construct, repair orrehabilitate, or relocate a single family home.Guaranteed Home Ownership Loans guarantee loansorginated by local approved lenders to eligible moderate tolow-income residents for purchase/repair or construction ofa single family rural dwelling. *$47.5M assisted 676

households in becoming rural homeowners.

Rural Home Repair Loans and Grants andHousing Preservation Grants provide financing fornecessary repairs to rural owner-occupied homes of verylow income homeowners. *$838K assisted 152 rural

homeowners with essential home repairs.

Direct Rural Rental Housing Loans and Grants

provide financing to eligible applicants and entitiesfor construction of economically designed andconstructed rural rental housing and for repairs/rehabto existing rural rental housing. *$736K loan built a

16 unit complex for the elderly. $1M equity loan& $20K equity grant transferred ownership of 1complex for continuation of 48 family housingunits. $120K in loans repaired 16 elderly & 8family housing units.

Rural Rental Assistance provides rent subsidies to

individual residents of USDA Rural Developmentfinanced multi-family housing complexes ensuring thatvery low and low income residents have affordablerent payments. *$6.9M assisted 3,600 tenants.

 BUSINESS & COOPERATIVE

 PROGRAMS $6,366,588

Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans guaranteecommercial loans for business and industrial development to create and maintain employment, expand, andimprove economic climate. *$3.6M assisted 3

businesses, creating 23 & saving 136 rural jobsvia business acquisition and business, vehicle,equipment, & machinery expansion.

Rural Business Enterprise Grants facilitate and financethe development of small and emerging rural, privatebusiness enterprises. *$615K assisted 8 projects

creating 303 & saving 208 rural jobs.

Rural Business Opportunity Grants provide foreconomic development planning, technical assistanceand training in rural areas. *$45K for hunting &

recreation cooperative feasibility project pilotingin 17 SW & 5 NE counties creating 3 rural jobs.

Intermediary Relending Loan Program provides loansto intermediaries who make loans to ultimate recipientsfor business facilities and community developmentprojects. *200K established revolving loan fund

with potential to impact 7 rural businessescreating &/or saving 17 rural jobs.

Rural Economic Development Grants provide for widerange of rural economic development and job creationprojects to improve the economic condition of ruralareas. *$400K renovated & expanded a rural

county hospital & developed a tract of land forhousing creating 12 & saving 110 rural jobs.

Value-Added Producer Grants help producers

expand product/commodity customer base resulting ingreater portion of revenues from value-added activity

being available to producers.

*$1.1M assisted16 producer groups inag ventures creating 37& saving 15 rural jobs.

Energy Efficiency Improvements and RenewableEnergy Systems Grants are provided to farmers,

ranchers and rural small businesses to purchaserenewable energy systems and make energyefficiency improvements. *$418K provided for

1 renewable energy & 36 energy efficiencyimprovement projects.**

 UTILITIES PROGRAMS

 $34,599,050

Water and Environmental Loans and Grants develop and

repair drinking water and sanitary sewer systems, includingsolid waste disposal and storm drainage in rural areas.

*$8M loans & $8.4M grants(inclusive of $4.6M in emergencycommunity water assistancegrants) assisted in 15 water &3 sewer projects helping 18 ruralcommunities.Telecommunications Direct Loans meet the needs and

demands for rural telephone area coverage and provide asource of long-term financing to build rural telecommunication infrastructure. *$17.6M in direct funds were

provided to 5 telephone companies to help meetthe telecommuncation needs of rural areas inNebraska.

Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants allow

for technology equipment and facilities that providerural schools, libraries, hospitals and medical clinicswith distance learning &/or telemedicine capabilities.

*$562K will facilitate educational services tonearly 7,000 students in over 50 rural schoolsthrough establishment of distance learningstudios. Teacher and technician training,educational training, job instruction andadvancement opportunities will benefit over200 teachers and the citizens served by theschool districts in the 20 county area.* FY05 IMPACT **Nebraska Rural Development dominated in the value-added and energy grant arenas. Nebraska ranked second in number of value- added producer grant applications funded and fourth in dollar amounts awarded. Nebraska ranked first in number of energy projects awarded nationwide.

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