When the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today some $68-million to be invested in rural development to build or improve community facilities and essential services across the nation, the community of Baroda was prominently on that list, in a huge boost toward long-running efforts to get an industrial park to gain some traction in the village.
Acting Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Joel Baxley has announced that the USDA is investing $68 for nearly 715,000 rural residents in 13 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, including nearly a million dollars for the Village of Baroda.
Baxley says, “Having access to high-quality education, health care, public safety, community infrastructure and municipal services is crucial to achieving prosperity,” and adds, “Under the leadership of Secretary Perdue, USDA is committed to partnering with rural community leaders to improve quality of life and economic development in rural America by building or modernizing the essential community facilities that provide these building-block opportunities.”
USDA is funding 20 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program. The funding helps rural small towns, cities and communities make infrastructure improvements.
The Village of Baroda will receive a $983,000 loan to build a roadway through their industrial park and make other improvements. That project will serve an area with 873 residents, where the village is contributing $75,000 toward the industrial park improvements.
Jason Allen is the USDA Rural Development State Director for Michigan. He says, “The impact of this investment reaches beyond the local community,” adding, “Renewed rural prosperity helps us all, and USDA is proud to help move this project forward.”
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Applicants and projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
In April 2017, President Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a cornerstone recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, you can click this link: Rural-Prosperity-Report
In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, you can click this link:
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
