Rural Development Programs:

2. Rural Development Programs: • Business • Community Facilities • Housing • Single Family • Multi-Family

3. Business Programs Goal: To create or save jobs in rural areas.

4. Business & Industry (B&I) • Loan note guarantees up to 90% • Maximum Loan - $10,000,000 but possible to • go up to $25,000,000 with prior approval • from Washington D.C. • Loans are made by a commercial lender • and guaranteed by USDA

5. Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) Grants typically up to $100,000 Small and emerging businesses must be assisted with these funds State funding is usually around $1 million

6. 2005 RBEGS - 16 projects funded Examples: Revolving Loan Fund – Development Authority of Macon County, Middle Flint Regional Development Authority, Schley-Sumter-Macon counties Joint Development Authority, Southwest GA United Empowerment Zone Streetscape, sidewalks, parking improvements – Harlem, Hartwell, Nashville, Social Circle, Sharpsburg Greenhouse– Okefenokee Technical College Purchase truck driving simulator – Griffin Technical College, Ogeechee Technical College Results - 487 jobs

7. Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) • Purpose: for technical assistance, training and planning to promote economic development • Grants typically under $50,000 (Multi-state - $150,000) • For public body, nonprofit, or cooperative serving town with less than 10,000 inhabitants • Must result in economic development

8. Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) • Loan to intermediary at 1% interest • Intermediary sets own rates • 10 Intermediaries in the State

9. Intermediaries • Appalachian Community Enterprises, Inc. • Central Savannah River Area Rural Lending Authority, Inc. • Coastal Area District Development Authority • Fort Valley State University Foundation, Inc. • Georgia Mountains Regional Economic Development Corp. • Georgia Small Business Lender, Inc. • Middle Flint Area Development Corporation • South Georgia Area Resource Development • Small Business Assistance Corp. • Southeast Local Development Corp. FY05 – 1 project funded $600,000 Result: 80 jobs

11. Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program • 0% Interest Loans • Grants available • Electric or telecommunications cooperatives for community and economic development FY 05 – 3 projects funded $1,930,000 Results: 119 jobs

12. Value-Added Producer Grants The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program is intended to provide grant funds to agricultural producers for planning activities and working capital expenses to assist them in receiving a greater share of the consumer’s dollar for value-added agricultural products.

13. Value-Added Producer Grants • Application period for FY ’06 closed on March 31. • Maximum Grant • Working Capital - $300,000 • Planning - $150,000 • $19.45 million was available nationwide

14. Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Loans and Grants • Purchase renewable energy systems (A process that produces energy) • Improvements to a facility or process that reduces energyconsumption

15. Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Loans and Grants • Maximum grant is $500,000 for a RE system and $250,000 for EE Improvement • Grant cannot exceed 25% of eligible project costs • Application deadline for FY ’06 was May 12. • $11.3 million was available this year

16. Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Loans and Grants • Loan cannot exceed 50% of project costs • Maximum loan is $10 million • Percentage of Guarantee • 85% for loans under $600,000 • 80% for loans between $600,00 & $5 million • 70% for loans over $5 million • Guarantee Fee – 1% • Annual Renewal Fee – maximum is .5% but is determined each year

17. Cooperative Development • Technical assistance to co-ops, including: • Feasibility studies • Business plans • Help establishing a new co-op

18. Rural Cooperative Development Grant (R.C.D.G.) 1 project funded $294,897 invested Funds were used to continue the operation of the Georgia Cooperative Development Center. This is a partnership between the Georgia RC&D Councils, the Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development at UGA and USDA Rural Development.

19. Community Programs • Water and sewer programs • Solid waste facilities • Technical assistance • Community Facilities • FY2005 Investment: over $44 million

20. Clean running water for Rural Georgians • Replacement of old systems • Expansion of inadequate systems • Installation of new systems • Loans and grants available

21. Infrastructure – • Almost $30 million invested • Will serve 2,881 households in five 44 communities Community Program

22. Community Facilities • Provide essential services in rural areas and towns • Guaranteed and direct loans are available • Limited grant funds available

23. Distance Learning and Telemedicine • Loans between $50,000 and $10 million and loan/grant combinations • Deadline: None • Grants between $50,000 and $500,000 • Deadline: Published in NOFA annually • Watch for NOFA for 2007!

24. Housing • Single Family • Multi-Family

25. Single Family Housing • 100% of purchase price, not to • exceed the market value or maximum loan amount for the area. • Loans are available to very-low, low and moderate income families

26. Multi-Family • Rural Rental Housing loans provide economically designed housing for very-low, low, and moderate income families, the elderly, and the handicapped • 500 apartment complexes totaling 16,500 apartments • over $18 million a year in rental assistance to families in extreme need

27. FY 2005 Loan And Grant Programs Almost $566 million invested in GA

28. FY 2005 • 727 people bought a home • 410 homes repaired • water or waste funds for five communities serving 2,881 households and two wholesale distributors • created or saved 1,629 jobs • over 8,385 families received rental assistance

29. www.rurdev.usda.gov/ga