Rural Development: Helping make rural Missouri a better place to live

During fiscal 2004 USDA Rural Development assisted rural MIssouri with more than $450 million in financial assistance through a variet of loan and grant programs to thousands of individuals, families, businesses and commmunities. The money helped provide housing, jobs, clean drinking water plus reliable essential community facilities and services.

"Rural Development is extremely pleased to help rural Missouri with this financial assistance," said Greg Branum, state director for Rural Development.

Included within that total is a list of projects totaling $1,112,300 developed by the Rural Development office in Kennett.

This included money to Kennett for an airport refueling station; construction of a new DAEOC Headstart Building in Kennett; construction of a new animal shelter in Campbell and for repairs and improvements to sewer improvements in Wardell.

"Federal funds distributed USDA Rural Development are a direct investment in our quality of liffe in Southern Missouri," said U.S. Rep. JoAnn Emerson.

Nearly $146 million was provided for the single family housing programs, with $106.2 milion provided as loan guarantees provided through partnerships with private sector lenders. This helped 1,356 individuals or families. Another $39.2 million went to 1,037 individuals or families in the 502 and 504 direct housing program.

Three grants to help families with $168,753 of repairs though a Housing Preservation Grant program and three self-help technical assistance grants for $273,000 assisted 20 families with housing assistance.

Multi-family housing programs benefited rural residents in eight communities through loans of $2,481,611 in loans for apartment complexes. Eleven projects with the Missouri Housing Development Commission helped renovate 328 rental uits with $3.5 million in funds.

It's estimated more than 4,500 jobs were saved or created to provide rental housing on rural areas of the state.

Additionally, $15,963,727 in rental assistance was provided to 8,800 very low income families in approximately 20,000 apartments in 900 rental projects financed by Rural Development.

More than $23,001,273 through the Community Facilities program provided to 75 communities for projects including six fire and rescue centers, 35 first responders and early warning systems, three daycare centers, eight health care facilities, a museum and a county justice center.

A total of $40.1 million went to the Business-Cooperative Service program for rural missouri, with $37.6 loaned or guaranteed with commercial lenders to help 24 businesses in the state. As a result of the loans 1,881 jobs were created or saved in rural areas.

"Investing in rural Missouri will create jobs and stimulate the economy," said Senator Jim Talent, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. "Working together we are passing a pro-jobs, pro-growth agenda for Missouri that includes providing rural communities with the financial resources they need to keep our economy strong and vibrant."

Several cities, communities, counties and organizations received nearly $2.5 million through other loan and grant programs.

In the Rural Development Rural Utilities Services, $210.3 million in assistance was provided to communities for water, waste water, electrical and telephone distribution. This benefited 9,600 families through adequate drinking water and new or improved waste disposal system, and more than 50,000 rural residential consumers from the electrical program.

"Through the hardworking folks in Missouri's rural communities, local development groups and our friends at USDA these dollars have made many critical projects a reality," Senator Kit Bond said. "I look forward to continuing our work to revitalize rural America one community at a time."