USDA RURAL LOUISIANA

DEVELOPMENT

2004 ANNUAL REPORT

Committed to the future of

rural communities.
Section 502 Direct Programs

Very Low Income 239 Loans $19,420,092

Low Income 155 Loans $13,517,234

Total 394 Loans $32,937,326

Section 504 Direct Loan/Grant Programs

504 Loans 132 Loans $912,430

504 Grants 112 Grants $688,115

Total 244 Loans and Grants $1,600,545

Section 502 Guaranteed Rural Housing (GRH) Program

GRH Purchase 1,167 Loans $110,952,048

GRH Refinance 11 Loans $1,134,701

Total 1,178 Loans $112,086,749

Section 515 Rural Rental Housing

Rehabilitation 68 Units $1,365,585

Section 521 Rental Assistance

Family 801 Units $11,706,615

Elderly 457 Units $5,526,501

Servicing 81 Units $401,692

Total 1,339 Units $17,634,808

Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants

Repairs 26 Homes $200,139

Business-Cooperative Services

Business and Industry 

Guaranteed Loans 7 Loans $22,978,200

Rural Business Enterprise Grant 3 Grants $693,000

Rural Business Opportunity Grant 4 Grants $171,960

Value-Added Producer Grant 1 Grant $7,700

Rural Entrepreneurship 

Cooperative Agreement 1 Agreement $150,000

Total 16 Projects $24,000,860

Water and Waste

Loans 30 Loans $33,577,700

Grants 22 Grants $14,612,880

Total 52 Projects $48,190,580

Solid Waste Management

Grants 1 Grant $99,600

Distance Learning and Telemedicine

Grants 1 Grant $500,000

Broadband

Loan 1 Loan $3,958,000

Community Facilities

Loans 16 Loans $13,588,420

Loan Guarantees 3 Loan Guarantees $8,250,000

Grants 35 Grants $1,444,985

Total 54 Projects $23,283,405

Single

Family

Housing

MultiFamily

Housing

Water and

Waste

Community

Facilities

Business

$146,624,620

$19,200,532

$76,031,585

$24,000,860

2004 INVESTMENT

In Louisiana

Committed to

the future

of rural

communities.

$265,857,597 Total 2004 Investment
Single Family Housing

Programs provide

homeownership opportunities

to low and moderate-income

rural Americans through several

loan, grant, and loan guarantee

programs. The programs also

make funding available to

individuals to finance vital

improvements necessary to

make their homes decent, safe,

and sanitary.

Multi-Family Housing

Programs offer rural rental

housing loans to provide

affordable multi-family rental

housing for very low-, low-, and

moderate-income families; the

elderly; and persons with

disabilities. Rural rental housing

guaranteed loans are available

for construction, acquisition, or

rehabilitation of rural multifamily housing. In addition,

deep subsidy rental assistance is

available to eligible families.

Community Programs

provide loans and grants and

loan guarantees for water and

environmental projects, as well

as community facilities projects.

Water and environmental

projects include water systems,

waste systems, solid waste, and

storm drainage facilities.

Community facilities projects

develop essential community

facilities for public use in rural

areas and may include hospitals,

fire protection, safety, as well as

many other community-based

initiatives.

Business Programs help

create jobs and stimulate rural

economies by providing financial

backing for rural businesses.

Loans, grants, and loan

guarantees are available to any

legally-organized entity,

including cooperatives,

partnerships, profit or nonprofit entities, Indian tribes or

federally-recognized tribal

groups, and municipalities. In

addition, a wide range of

technical assistance is provided

to cooperatives and people

interested in forming new

cooperatives.

Bookmobile

Community Center

Day Care Facility

Downtown Revitalization

Elevated Water Tanks

Emergency Improvements 

to Water System

Equipment

Fire Engines

Fire Hydrants

Fire Stations

Garbage Truck

Head Start Buildings

Heating/Cooling System for 

Community Facility

Homebuyer Education

Hospital Construction

Hospital Improvements

Movie Theater

New Homes

New Water Lines

New Water System

Open-Air Pavilion

Outpatient Rehabilitation 

Facility

Police Cars

Rental Assistance

Rental Property 

Rehabilitation of MultiFamily Housing Units

Repair Homes

Sewage Gravity Mains and 

Lift Stations

Technical Assistance

Town Hall Renovations

Training

Upgrade Water Treatment 

Plants

Van

Warehouse

Work Release Dormitory

Working Capital

SUCCESS

USDA RURAL LOUISIANA

DEVELOPMENT

Building and Strengthening Communities
Making

Dreams

Come True

One of the hallmarks of the Bush

Administration centers on improving

the quality-of-life and increasing

economic opportunities in rural

communities. To do this, USDA

Rural Development focuses efforts on three

primary areas–homeownership opportunities,

business development, and community

infrastructure. 

The $50 billion in USDA Rural Development

investments made by the Bush Administration

has helped to create or save over 800,000

jobs that are important to

rural communities. The all

time record high of 76.1

percent homeownership in

rural areas is evidence that

programs are working as

USDA Rural Development

has helped 170,000 families

attain their dream of

homeownership. President

Bush has set a goal of

providing internet access to

all Americans by 2007.

USDA Rural Development is helping meet this

goal by increasing access for 1.2 million

households and businesses to high-speed

Internet technologies. 

USDA Rural Development has provided 2.7

million people with basic community water

and wastewater infrastructure. Additionally,

investments that assist communities with

financing public health and safety first

responder requests, including financing the

purchase of 600 fire trucks and 150 police

cars and construct or renovate nearly 100

medical facilities, are having a positive impact

on the quality of life in rural America.

The Bush Administration understands the

values and traditions that are unique to those

who call rural America home. President

Bush and I, along with our USDA Rural

Development family, are working hard to

support families, businesses, and communities

increase economic opportunities and improve

the quality of life in rural communities. 

Ann M. Veneman

Secretary

United States Department of Agriculture

Bringing

Solutions to

Communities

Citizens and community leaders throughout

rural America share a common desire to bring

economic opportunity and an improved

quality of life to their community. There is a

remarkable cohesiveness among rural citizens

that allows the energy and enthusiasm of local

citizens to harness the resources needed to

bring solutions to economic and social issues

facing their communities.

Today, more Americans than ever are realizing

their dream of becoming a homeowner.

Bringing stability to families, neighborhoods

and increasing personal family wealth through

building of financial equity in their future. I

am proud to say that 20 percent of the firsttime homeowners receiving financing this year

are minority families.

We are committed to aggressively working to

help families, communities, and businesses

build the basic community infrastructure, help

create more local jobs, and gain access to

educational and health care services and

technologies that allow them to be better

prepared to compete in a global environment. 

While we have accomplished much, we know

that more must be done to assist more

families, businesses, and communities benefit

from the financing and technical assistance

USDA Rural Development provides. That is

why I unveiled this year a new education and

outreach effort designed to ensure everyone

in rural areas know what assistance is

available to help them achieve their economic

goals and improve their quality of life. Simply

put, USDA Rural Development is the sole

government agency that can build rural

communities from the ground up.

To date, the Bush

Administration,

through USDA

Rural

Development, has

invested $50

billion to help

create or save

over 800,000

jobs. We have a

team of dedicated

professionals

capable and ready

to work with you

to improve the quality of life in rural

Louisiana. I encourage you to contact your

local or state office in Louisiana to learn more

about how USDA Rural Development can

help improve the quality of life and increase

the economic opportunity in your community.

Gilbert Gonzalez

Acting Under Secretary for Rural Development

United States Department of Agriculture

Increasing Economic Opportunity
Area II

Natchitoches

Area Office

Area I

Monroe 

Area Office

Area III

Lafayette

Area Office

Area IV

Amite

Area Office

Ensuring a

Bright Future

Making dreams come true–building stronger 

communities–and ensuring a bright future for

Louisiana–USDA Rural Development is doing it

all! Rural communities across Louisiana gained

new businesses, jobs, homes, water systems,

waste water systems, community facilities, and

much, much more as a result of USDA Rural

Development funding during 2004. 

Homeownership is a dream for many-but, in

Louisiana, we are making it a reality. USDA

Rural Development provided financing for new

housing to 1,561 families in Louisiana during

2004. In addition, 11 families refinanced their

homes at lower interest rates, and 244

homeowners received home improvement

loans/grants. 

For some, apartment living is the only housing

alternative–and, sometimes, rent payments are

difficult to make. USDA Rural Development

provided rental assistance to 801 families and

457 elderly residents of rural multi-family

housing-enabling them to enjoy safe, decent,

affordable housing.

Thousands of rural residents in Louisiana are

enjoying an improved quality of life because of

USDA Rural Development’s investment in their

communities–through new/improved public

water and waste water systems, new

community facilities, improved health care, and

enhanced telecommunications capability. 

In addition, USDA Rural Development is

ensuring that rural areas of Louisiana share in

economic opportunity through business

growth. We helped to build a stronger, more

vibrant economy in Louisiana by creating 113

new jobs and saving 1,634 jobs in rural areas. 

USDA Rural Development is helping to move

Louisiana forward, and our future is bright. I

appreciate the opportunity to serve you as

State Director, and I look forward to another

year of economic growth and prosperity in

rural Louisiana.

Monroe Area Office - Area I

2410 Old Sterlington Road, Suite C

Monroe, Louisiana 71203

Telephone: (318) 343-4467

Parishes Served:

Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia,

East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, LaSalle,

Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita,

Richland, Tensas, Union, and West Carroll

Natchitoches Area Office - Area II

6949 Louisiana Highway 1 Bypass, Suite 103

Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457

Telephone: (318) 352-7100

Parishes Served:

Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo,

DeSoto, Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides, Red

River, Sabine, Vernon, Webster, and Winn

Lafayette Area Office - Area III

Whitney National Bank Building

905 Jefferson Street, Suite 320

Lafayette, Louisiana 70501-7913

Telephone: (337) 262-6601

Parishes Served:

Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu,

Cameron, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson

Davis, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, 

St. Mary, and Vermilion

Amite Area Office - Area IV

805 West Oak Street, Room 3

Amite, Louisiana 70422

Telephone: (985) 748-8751

Parishes Served:

Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge,

East Feliciana, Jefferson, Iberville, Lafourche,

Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe

Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St.

Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany,

Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West

Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana

Visit our webpage at:

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

Improving the Quality of Life

Contact Us

Michael B.

Taylor

State Director

USDA Rural

Development
USDA RURAL LOUISIANA

DEVELOPMENT

For more information on the programs

available through USDA Rural Development,

please visit our webpage at:

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

For more information on this report, contact:

Michael B. Taylor

State Director

USDA Rural Development

3727 Government Street

Alexandria, Louisiana 71302

Telephone: (318) 473-7921

Fax: (318) 473-7661

e-mail: michael.taylor@la.usda.gov

TDD/TTY (318) 473-7655

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, or 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, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410

or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity lender,

provider, and employer.