Order Code RL31837
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
An Overview of USDA
Rural Development Programs
Updated June 22, 2006
Tadlock Cowan
Analyst in Rural and Regional Development Policy
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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An Overview of USDA Rural Development Programs
Summary
More than 88 programs administered by 16 different federal agencies target rural
economic development. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
administers the greatest number of rural development programs and has the highest
average of program funds going directly to rural counties (approximately 50%). The
Rural Development Policy Act of 1980 designated USDA as the lead federal agency
for rural development. The Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of
Agricultural Reorganization Act of 1994 created the Office of the Undersecretary for
Rural Development and consolidated the rural development portfolio into four
principal agencies responsible for USDA’s mission area: the Rural Housing Service,
the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, the Rural Utilities Service, and the Office
of Community Development. This report provides an overview of the various
programs administered by these four USDA agencies, their authorizing legislation,
program objectives, eligibility, and FY2005-FY2007 funding for each program. This
report will be updated.

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Contents
U.S. Rural Policy: Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Authorizing Legislation for USDA Rural Development Programs . . . . . . . . 2
Rural Electrification Act of 1936 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Title V Rural Development Act of 1972 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Rural Development Policy Act of 1980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Rural Economic Development Act of 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Federal Crop Insurance Reform and
Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 . . . . . . . . 4
Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 . . . . . . . . . 5
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
USDA Mission Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
USDA Rural Housing Service (RHS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Rural Housing Issues: Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Housing Act of 1949 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Rural Housing Amendments of 1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Rural Housing Service Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Section 502 Single Family Housing Direct Loan Program . . . . . . . . . . 9
Section 502 Guaranteed Single Family Housing
Purchase and Refinance Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Section 504 Very Low-Income Rural Housing and Repair
Loan and Grant Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Section 514 and 516 Farm Labor Housing Program
Loan and Grant Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Grant Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Section 523 Rural Housing Site Loan Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Section 524 Rural Housing Site Loan Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Section 533 Housing Preservation Grant Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section 515 Rural Rental Housing Direct Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section 538 Multi-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program . . . . . 13
Section 521 Rental Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Housing Demonstration Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Rural Intermediary Relending Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Rural Economic Development Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Rural Economic Development Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Rural Cooperative Development Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA)
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Value-Added Agricultural Production Market Development Grants . 16
National Sheep Industry Improvement Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Rural Business Investment Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Rural Strategic Investment Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Renewable Energy Loan and Grant Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Electric Loan Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Telecommunications Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loans and Grants . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Rural Telephone Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Broadband Loans and Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Enhancement of Access to Broadband Service in Rural Areas . . . . . . 21
Local Television Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
High Energy Cost Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Rural Community Advancement Program (RCAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Community Facilities Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Community Facility Direct and Guaranteed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Community Facility Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Rural Community Development Initiative Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Rural Business-Cooperative Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Business and Industry (B&I) Direct and Guaranteed Loans . . . . . . . . 25
Rural Business Opportunity Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rural Business Enterprise Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Rural Utilities Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Water and Waste Disposal Direct and Guaranteed Loans . . . . . . . . . . 26
Water and Waste Disposal Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Solid Waste Management Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Emergency and Imminent Community Water Assistance Grants . . . . 28
Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Rural Water Circuit Rider Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
USDA Office of Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Empowerment Zone/ Enterprise Community Initiative (EZ/EC) . . . . 29
Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones (REAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
National Rural Development Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

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An Overview of USDA
Rural Development Programs
U.S. Rural Policy: Background
In the post-World War II era, widespread rural poverty, most notably among
farmers, dominated rural policy concerns. The Eisenhower Administration’s
Undersecretary for Agriculture, True D. Morse, began a Rural Development Program
in 1955 to assist low-income farmers. Because agriculture was the major economic
activity in many rural areas of the time, a focus on farms and farm households
became de facto rural policy. The War on Poverty during the 1960s continued the
focus on rural poverty as a central policy issue. With the continued decline in
agriculture as rural America’s dominant economic activity, policy attention shifted
to rural revitalization. The 1980s farm financial crisis and economic dislocation in
rural America brought the importance of rural structural change to the forefront of
policy concerns. The further decline of farming to less than 8% of rural employment
and the loss of many manufacturing jobs during the past decade have highlighted the
growing gap between many rural areas and the nation’s urban/suburban areas. While
no overarching framework guides rural policy at the federal level, adequate housing,
employment creation and business retention, human capital concerns, poverty issues,
medical care, and infrastructure development remain key foci of federal rural policy.
Today, seven out of eight rural counties are dominated by manufacturing,
services, and other employment not related to farming. Farming, and agriculture
more generally, however, remain the major legislative focus for much of
congressional debate on rural policy. Since 1973, omnibus farm bills have included
a rural development title. The most recent is Title VI of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171). Agriculture and manufacturing issues are
increasingly seen as part of global and regional restructuring issues, which have
significant implications for rural areas, especially those areas where these production
sectors remain dominant. Positioning rural areas to better compete in a global
environment is one of the key issues framing the debate about the future of rural
America.
Omnibus farm bills are the major modern legislative vehicle for addressing
many rural development issues.1 While other legislation has significant implications
for rural areas and rural residents (e.g., transportation initiatives, environmental
regulation, finance and taxation, Medicare, Social Security), Congress has used
1 By virtue of its specific geographic targets, legislation authorizing the Appalachian
Regional Commission, the Mississippi Delta Region, the Great Plains Region, and the
Tennessee Valley Authority also has had a significant impact on rural development issues
in these areas.

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periodic farm bills to address emerging rural issues as well as to reauthorize a wide
range of rural programs administered by the various USDA rural development
agencies. As the role of agriculture has continued to decline in rural economies,
however, some rural policy analysts are raising questions about the effectiveness of
linking farm and rural policy. While the extent of overlap between federal agencies
and programs targeting rural areas has been of concern to some rural policy
observers, legislation enacted since 1990 reflects an effort to address rural issues
more comprehensively.2
Authorizing Legislation for USDA
Rural Development Programs
USDA’s rural development mission is to enhance rural communities by
targeting financial and technical resources to areas of greatest need. Three agencies,
established by the Agricultural Reorganization Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-354), are
responsible for the mission area: the Rural Housing Service (RHS), the Rural
Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS).3 An
Office of Community Development provides further community development
support through USDA Rural Development’s state offices. The mission area also
administers the rural portion of the Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities
Initiative and the National Rural Development Partnership.
Congress has enacted many public laws bearing on rural policies and rural
residents. The Rural Electrification Act of 1936, to cite one significant example, was
central to the provision of electrical power and telephone service throughout rural
America. In 1966, Congress created the National Commission on Rural Poverty,
which published its famous report, The People Left Behind, the following year.
Various loan and grant programs that target improvements in rural social welfare
(e.g., housing) were also authorized and administered by the Farmers Home
Administration (FmHA), the agency forerunner of today’s USDA Office of Rural
Development. Rural policy as an identified congressional concern, however, may be
dated to the 1972 Rural Development Act, an amendment to the Consolidated
Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961.4
New rural development legislation generally amends two major authorizing
statutes: (1) the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972 (P. L. 92-
2 The Government Accountability Office identified 88 programs administered by 16 federal
agencies that targeted rural development. See Rural Development: Federal Programs that
Focus on Rural American and its Economic Development, GAO/RCED-89-56-BR, January
1989.
3 While the 1994 Act reorganized the administering agencies, the programs themselves
predate the reorganization.
4 The Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926, the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, and the
Agricultural Acts from 1931 to 1970 are also significant for the role of agriculture within
rural economies. While these statutes do not address rural development directly, they do
provide marketing assistance for farmers and ranchers and thus, have contributed to rural
welfare especially in those areas where agricultural production remains a significant
economic focus.

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419) and (2) the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (P. L. 101-
624). (Title III of the Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961 was
the original short title of this latter title, but the short title was re-designated the 1972
Act and is classified principally as Title 7 U.S.C. Chapter 50, 1921 et seq.5). A brief
description and overview of key sections of the basic statutory authority for rural
development programs are provided below.
Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.). The act
established the Rural Electrification Administration during the Great Depression to
create jobs and electrify rural areas by providing subsidized loans and grants to rural
electric cooperatives. In 1949, telephone cooperatives also were brought under the
program. Cooperatives are a common form of business organization in rural areas,
structured essentially as non-taxed entities owned by their users. In the 1930s, only
a few farms and rural households had access to electricity; by the mid-1950s, the
proportion of rural homes with electricity matched suburban penetration, and by
1975, more than 99% of all farms had electricity. Likewise, by the mid-1970s,
telephone penetration in rural areas had topped 90% and it has held steady at roughly
95% of households for the past 20 years.
Title V Rural Development Act of 1972 (P. L. 92-419) (Title III of the
Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961 (P. L. 87-128),
7 U.S.C. 1926 et seq.). This title is part of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act of 1972 and is often referred to as the “ConAct.” Title V directed
the Secretary of Agriculture to provide leadership within the executive branch and
to assume responsibility for coordinating a nationwide rural development program
using the services of executive branch departments and agencies, including, but not
limited to, the agencies, bureaus, offices, and services of the Department of
Agriculture, in coordination with rural development programs of state and local
governments. The act also authorized the Community Facility Loan program, the
Rural Business and Industry Loan program, and the Rural Business Enterprise Grant
program. These and other programs are now consolidated under the Rural
Community Advancement Programs (see below).
Rural Development Policy Act of 1980 (P. L. 96-355). This legislation
affirmed USDA as the lead agency for rural development. (The 1972 Act named
USDA as the lead federal coordinator for rural policy). The act also added
responsibilities to the 1972 Rural Development Act. It authorized the Secretary of
Agriculture to expand the Department’s leadership role through which multi-state,
state, sub-state, and local rural development needs, plans, and recommendations can
be received and assessed on a continuing basis.
Rural Economic Development Act of 1990 (Title XXIII of the Food,
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (P. L. 101-624)). Part
of the omnibus 1990 farm bill. Title XXIII amended the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act of 1972 to establish in USDA the Rural Development
Administration (RDA). Legislative action saw significant debate between House
and Senate Appropriations Committees with the House Agriculture Committee over
5 See Section 301 of P.L. 87-128 as enacted on August 8, 1961, 75 Stat. 307.

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establishing the RDA. The newly formed RDA absorbed all non-farm FmHA
functions. Important provisions include:
! Establishing (1) a Rural Partnerships Investment Board to provide
lines of credit for rural economic development revolving funds; (2)
(in the Department of the Treasury) the Rural Business Investment
Fund; and (3) local revolving funds. Amended the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972 to establish a delivery
system for certain rural development programs;
! Providing rural water and waste facilities. Amended the Farm
Credit Act of 1971 to authorize lending for water and waste projects
and revised water and waste facility financing provisions.
Established a rural wastewater treatment circuit rider program.
Amended the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to
establish emergency community water assistance grants and water
and waste facility loans and grants to alleviate health risks.
! Enhancing human resources. Provided for enhanced rural
community access to advanced telecommunications. Amended the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize loans
for business telecommunications partnerships and establish rural
emergency assistance loans;
! Supporting rural business. Amended the Rural Electrification Act
of 1936 to establish a technical assistance unit, defer economic
development loan payments, and establish the Rural Incubator Fund
to promote rural economic development.
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66). Title
VIII established the first rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities
(EZ/ECs). The EZ/EC program is a grant-making initiative whose objective is to
revitalize low-income rural communities (and low-income urban areas) in ways that
attract private sector investment. USDA administers the rural EZ/EC program and
the Department of Housing and Urban Development administers the urban EZ/EC
program. In December 1994, three rural Empowerment Zones (EZ) and 30 rural
Enterprise Communities (EC) were named. The Taxpayers Relief Act of 1997 added
two additional rural EZs and 10 more rural ECs. A third round of competition,
authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001, created two additional
rural EZs.
Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-354). Title II authorized reorganization
of the Department of Agriculture. It authorized the Secretary to establish the position
of Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Economic and Community Development
to succeed the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Small Community and Rural
Development. The act further organized rural development into the Rural Housing
Service (community facilities, technical assistance, and outreach), Rural Business-
Cooperative Service (cooperatives, Business and Industry loans) and the Rural

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Utilities Service (electric, telecommunications, water).6 The legislation also
abolished the Rural Electrification Administration established under the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936 establishing the Rural Utilities Service as its successor.
Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (P. L.
104-127). (The 1996 omnibus farm bill.) Title VII was the Rural Development
title. Several major initiatives were established in this legislation including the
following:
! Revised the rural distance learning and medical link programs into
programs to finance the construction of facilities and systems to
provide rural areas with telemedicine and distance learning services.
! Amended the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to
increase the amount of grants authorized to be made by the Secretary
for water and waste facilities. Revised the definition of “rural” and
“rural area,” for the purposes of eligibility for grants and loans for
such facilities, to limit eligibility to only those cities, towns, or
unincorporated areas with populations of no more than 10,000.
! Established mandatory funding for a Fund for Rural America for
rural research, economic development, and housing.
! Established the Rural Community Advancement Program (RCAP),
a consolidated program of grants, loans, guarantees, and other
assistance to local communities and federally recognized Indian
tribes.
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P. L. 107-171).
This legislation, enacted in May 2002, is the most recent omnibus farm bill. Title VI,
in addition to providing funds for various rural loan and grant programs, also
authorizes several new rural development initiatives. Major new initiatives include
provisions funded through direct (mandatory) spending. Mandatory programs do not
require annual appropriations. Funding is made available either through the Treasury
or from the Commodity Credit Corporation. For FY2002-2007, new mandatory
programs include:
! The Rural Strategic Investment Fund establishes a National Board
on Rural America that will provide $100 million in planning grants
to certified Regional Investment Boards.
! The Rural Business Investment Program provides $100 million in
loan guarantees and subsidies to form Rural Business Investment
corporations that will make equity investments to small firms. The
program will be administered through the Small Business
Administration.
6 USDA Rural Development (RUS, RBS, RHS) assumed administration of the former
Farmers Home Administration’s non-farm functions.

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! Enhanced Access to Broadband Service to Rural Areas provides
$10-$20 million per year, FY2002-2007, in grants and loans.
! Rural Local Television Broadcast Signal Loan Guarantees authorizes
$80 million under the Launching Our Communities’ Access to Local
Television Act of 2000.
! Value-added Agricultural Product Market Development Grants
provide $40 million per year, FY2002-2007, to independent
producers and producer-owned enterprises. There is also a 5% set-
aside for organic production. $15 million of this funding is
earmarked for 10 new Agriculture Innovation Centers for technical
assistance to value-added agricultural businesses. The 10 centers
were named in FY2003.
! The Rural America Infrastructure Development Account authorizes
a one-time funding of pending water and waste water applications at
$360 million;
! Rural Firefighters and Emergency Personnel Grant Program
provides $10 million per year, FY2003-2007 funding to train
emergency personnel.
The legislation also repealed the Fund for Rural America established in the 1996
farm bill.
USDA Mission Agencies
The following sections outline the various loan and grant programs administered
by the three principal USDA Rural Development mission agencies: Rural Housing
Service (RHS), Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), and Rural Utilities
Service (RUS). Program objectives, statutory authority, eligibility, and FY2005-
FY2007 funding levels are provided. An overview of the programs that compose the
Rural Community Advancement Program (RCAP) and the Office of Community
Development is also provided.

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USDA Rural Housing Service (RHS)
Rural Housing Issues: Background.7 Key characteristics of rural housing
needs are suggested by the following:
! Rural areas have a disproportionate share of the nation’s substandard
housing;
! There is a high incidence of poverty in rural America;
! There is an inadequate supply of affordable rural housing to meet
demand in many rural areas;
! Mobile homes are increasingly pervasive in many rural areas;
! Homeownership is the principal form of housing in rural America;
! Rural households pay more of their income for housing than their
urban counterparts;
! Hundreds of rural communities nationwide do not have access to
clean residential drinking water and safe waste disposal systems;
! Development costs in rural areas are often disproportionately higher;
! Rural residents may have more limited access to mortgage credit;
! Rural minorities are less likely to own their homes than rural white
households.8
Housing Act of 1949 (P. L. 81-171) (42 U.S.C. 1441 et seq). The
preamble to this landmark legislation declares that every American deserves a
“decent home and a suitable living environment.” Housing in the post-World War
II era was in short supply and many cities had housing that was in deteriorating
condition. The Housing Act for the first time placed the federal government in the
role of physically shaping U.S. urban and suburban areas. In doing so, the act
influenced state and local polices regarding not only housing, but more broadly,
social welfare policy, race relations, and economic development decisions. The act
was significant in its creation of a new federal role, but it also was significant in
establishing housing as a central policy focus, a focus that is more diminished today.
To meet the goals of more and better housing, Title I of the Housing Act
financed slum clearance under urban redevelopment/renewal programs. Title II
increased authorization for Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance.
Title III committed the federal government to building 810,000 new public housing
units by 1955.9 While the provisions of these titles were strongly influenced by cities
and their immediately adjacent suburban areas, the Housing Act also recognized the
shortages and low-quality housing that characterized much of rural America.
Title V of the act gave authorization to the Farmers Home Administration to
grant mortgages for the purchase or repair of rural single-family houses. Title V
7 See Housing the Poor: Federal Programs for Low-Income Families, CRS Report
RL30486, March, 2000.
8 National Rural Housing Coalition. Recommendations to the Commission on Affordable and
Healthy Facility Needs for Seniors in the 21st Century, October 2001.
9 This goal, however, was not achieved until the early 1970s.

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authorized financial assistance in rural areas to farmers, owners, developers, and
elderly persons for the purchase of rural property and construction of adequate
facilities, insurance on various loans, and financial assistance for rental housing for
farmworkers. Through the Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program account
established by the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 (P. L. 89-117), the
USDA Rural Housing Service today, as with the Farmers Home Administration in
the past, insures and guarantees a variety of housing loans for home purchases, repair,
and rental housing development .
The Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (P. L. 90-448) (42
U.S.C. 1441a) (82 Stat. 476). This legislation reaffirmed the 1949 Housing Act,
but also placed greater emphasis on the failures of the 1949 Act to address the
problems of housing for low-income families. The 1968 Act authorized the Federal
Housing Administration’s Section 235 homeownership program with the goal of
expanding homeownership, especially among low-income families. The 1968 Act
had the goal of creating nearly 26 million new units of housing, 6 million of which
were to be reserved for low-income persons. The legislation enacts the New
Communities Act of 1968, National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, Urban Property
Protection and Reinsurance Act of 1968, and Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure
Act. The 1968 Act also created the Government National Mortgage Association
(Ginnie Mae).
Rural Housing Amendments of 1983 (P. L. 98-181) (42 U.S.C. 1490k
to 1490o). Titles I through V are also referred to as the Housing and Urban-Rural
Recovery Act of 1983. It amends the Housing and Community Development Act of
1974 and the United States Housing Act of 1937. Title V amends the 1949 Housing
Act to require that at least 40% of all dwelling units financed by a rural housing loan
through the Farmers Home Administration and at least 30% of such units in each
state be available only for very low-income persons and families. It authorizes loans
for manufactured homes and lots meeting specified safety standards and installation,
structural, site and energy conserving requirements, whether such homes and lots are
real property, personal property, or both.
Rural Housing Service Programs
The following programs are authorized by the Housing Act of 1949 and include
programs for individual homeownership and rental housing. The programs do not
require annual reauthorization or reauthorization in periodic omnibus farm bills.
Budget authorization is expressed in terms of loan subsidies and loan authority.
Housing loan subsidies are transfers from the Treasury to lenders who may then
provide loans at reduced interest rates to low-income borrowers who otherwise
would not be able to obtain credit under a lender’s usual criteria. Loan authority
refers to the total value of all loans made under a particular program. A subsidy
“leverages” a larger loan amount. A small total loan subsidy permits a relatively
large amount of principal actually lent to a borrower. Loan authorization refers to the
total amount of loan indebtedness that Congress permits a particular program to
assume.
Funding for Rural Housing Service homeownership programs is provided by the
Rural Housing Insurance Fund through three financing mechanisms: (1) direct loans,

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(2) guaranteed loans, and (3) grants. Direct loans are loans whose principal is
subsidized by the federal government. The principal for a guaranteed loan is
provided by a private lender, but the lender is protected by the federal government
in the event a borrower defaults. If a guaranteed loan is made at market interest rates
and the default rate is zero, then the cost to the federal government for making the
guaranteed loan is zero. A grant is a direct outlay to an applicant, often on the basis
of a competition for funds. Funding limits for individual grants, loan subsidies, and
total levels of loan authorization are stated in annual appropriations legislation
authorizing the loans and grants.

Section 502 Single Family Housing Direct Loan Program. This is
USDA’s main housing loan program and is designed to help low-income individuals
purchase houses in rural areas. Funds can also be used to build, repair, or renovate
a house, including providing water and sewage facilities. The program provides
fixed-interest mortgage financing to low-income families who are unable to obtain
credit elsewhere. The program also provides “supervised credit” including pre-loan
and post-loan credit counseling to its borrowers to help them maintain their homes
during financial crises. While the program benefits rural areas nationwide, the
highest benefits (in per capita dollars) are in low-income areas such as the Delta
South and rapidly growing areas in the West.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 502 of the Housing Act of 1949; 42
U.S.C., Chapter 8A, Subchapter III, 1471, et seq.
Financing: Loans are subsidized at a graduated interest rate from 1% over
Treasury’s cost of money, depending on family income. Applicants may obtain
100% financing and loans are for up to 33 years (38 years for those with
incomes below 60% of the area median household income). Interest rates are
determined so that a family pays from 22% to 26% of their income for principal,
interest, taxes, and insurance.
Eligibility: Borrowers must be either very-low income (less than 50% of
median family income in the rural area where they reside) or low-income (50-
80% of median family income). Housing must be modest in size, design, and
cost.10
Funding: Enacted loan authorization in FY2005: $1.14 billion; FY2006: $1.13
billion; FY2007: $1.24 billion (est.). Loan subsidies (budget authority)
FY2005: $132.1 million; FY2006: $128.6 million; FY2007: $124.1 million
(est).
Section 502 Guaranteed Single Family Housing Purchase and
Refinance Loans. Provides loan guarantees to private lenders for low and
moderate income families to purchase housing. Objective is to provide an incentive
to private lenders to offer loans for 30-year mortgages to rural residents who would
otherwise be unable to obtain credit.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 502 of the Housing Act of 1949; 42
U.S.C., Chapter 8A, Subchapter III, 1471, et seq.
10 Modest housing is generally defined as housing costing less than the HUD Section 203(b)
loan limits.

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CRS-10
Financing: The government guarantees 90% of loan principal as an
encouragement to private lenders to make loans to rural residents whose
incomes are between 80% and 115% of the median county income. Loans may
be up to 100% of market value or acquisition costs, whichever is less. There is
no down payment requirement.
Funding: Enacted loan authorization in FY2005: $3.28 billion; FY2006: $3.64
billion; FY2007 (est.): $3.56 billion. Loan subsidies (budget authority) in
FY2005: $33.3 million; FY2006: $40.5 million; FY2007: $7.8 million (est.).
Section 504 Very Low-Income Rural Housing and Repair Loan and
Grant Program. This program provides loan and grant assistance to very-low and
low-income homeowners to make housing repairs that remove various health and
safety hazards from their houses or to improve or modernize a home. Grants may be
made to cover the costs of such improvements as repairing roofs, providing toilet
facilities, providing a convenient and sanitary water supply, and installation cots in
obtaining central water and sewer service.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 504 of the Housing Act of 1949; 42
U.S.C., Chapter 8A, Subchapter III, 1471, et seq.
Financing: Loans of up to $20,000 and grants of up to $7,500 are available.
Eligibility Criteria: Loans are available to very low-income rural residents who
own and occupy a dwelling in need of repair. A homeowner must be unable to
obtain affordable credit elsewhere. Grants are limited to elderly home owners
(age 62 and older) whose incomes are 50% or less of the median in the rural
area where they reside. Grant funds may be used only for removal of a health or
safety hazard. Loan and grant assistance cannot exceed $27,000 to an
individual.
Funding: Enacted loan authorization in FY2005: $36.7 million (includes
emergency supplemental); FY2006: $68.8 million (includes emergency
supplemental); FY2007(est): $36.4 million. Loan subsidies (budget authority)
in FY2005: $10.6 million (includes emergency supplemental); FY2006: $20.1
million (includes emergency supplemental); FY2007 (est.): $10.7 million.
Grants in FY2005: 37.4 million (includes emergency supplemental); FY2006:
$49.6 million (includes emergency supplemental); FY2007:$29.7 million.
Section 514 and 516 Farm Labor Housing Program Loan and Grant
Program. This is the only nationwide program to provide housing for farm
laborers.11 Loans and grants are provided to buy, build, improve, or repair housing
for farm labor, including persons whose income is earned in aquaculture and on-farm
processing. Section 516 grants are used in conjunction with the loans to finance
affordable, off-farm rental housing to low-wage farm workers
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 514 and 516 of the Housing Act of 1949;
42 U.S.C., Chapter 8A, Subchapter III, 1484 and 1486.
Financing: This program provides direct loans to farm owners, Indian tribes,
farmer associations, public bodies, and nonprofit organizations to provide living
11 Unlike other RHS programs, the funding for Farm Labor Housing Program may be used
in urban areas to house nearby farm labor.

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CRS-11
quarters, furnishings, and related facilities for domestic farm workers. Section
514 loans have a 1% interest rate and a maximum repayment term of 33 years.
Grants may cover up to 90% of development costs.
Eligibility Criteria: Farmworkers who lease Section 514/516 units must be
either U.S. citizens or permanent residents and the majority of their income
must come from farm work. Grants are available only to governments or
nonprofit organizations.
Funding: Loan authorization in FY2005: $32.9 million ($15.5 million in
subsidies) and $30.3 million in grants; FY2006: $38.1 million ($17.0 in loan
subsidies) and $13.9 million in grants; FY2007 (est.): $41.6 million ($19.9 in
loan subsidies) $13.9 million in grants.
Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Grant Program. This program allows
very-low and low income rural Americans to use “sweat equity” to reduce the costs
of home ownership. Nonprofit organizations and local governments may obtain
grant funds to enable them to provide technical assistance to groups of families that
work cooperatively to build their houses. Typically, future homeowners use Section
502 direct loans to finance their mortgages and, through their own labor on
constructing the house are able to reduce costs by 10-15% while learning
construction skills.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 523 (b)(1)(A) of the Housing Act of
1949; 42 U.S.C. 1490(c)(B).
Financing: Grants. Grantees typically also use Section 502 loans, although
other mortgage tools are also used. Funds may be used to pay salaries, rent, and
office expenses of the participating nonprofit organizations. Pre-development
grants up to $10,000 are available to qualified organizations.
Eligibility Criteria: Low income (50%-80% of area median family income)
Funding: Grants for FY2003: $40.1 million; FY2004: $33.8 million; FY2005:
$34.0 million (est.).
Section 523 Rural Housing Site Loan Program. This program provides
funds to nonprofit organizations to develop building sites for low and moderate-
income participants in the Self-Help Housing Program. The nonprofit organizations
resell these improved sites to program participants at cost. The interest rate on the
loans is 3% and the nonprofit organizations repay the loans when they sell these
properties.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 523 (b)(1)(A) of the Housing Act of
1949; 42 U.S.C. 1490(c)(B).
Financing: Loans are for two years. Section 523 loans bear 3% interest rates.
Eligibility Criteria: Section 523 loans are made to acquire and develop sites
only for housing constructed by the self-help method.
Funding: Loan authorization FY2005: $2.3 million; FY2006: $5.0 million;
FY2007 (est.): $5.0 million. Subsidy levels (budget authority) FY2005: $0;
FY2006: $51,000; FY2007: $123,000: $0 (est.).
Section 524 Rural Housing Site Loan Program. This program is very
similar to the Section 523 program above except that once the sites are developed,

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CRS-12
they may be provided to any low- or moderate-income person, not just to the self-
help participant.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 524 (b)(1)(A) of the Housing Act of
1949; 42 U.S.C. 1480(d).
Financing: Loans are for two years. Section 524 loans bear the market rate of
interest.
Eligibility Criteria: Section 524 loans are made to acquire and develop sites
for any low-or moderate-income family.
Funding: Loan authorization in FY2005: $450,000; FY2006: $5.0 million;
FY2007 (est.): $5.0 million. Loan subsidies (budget authority) in FY2005: $0;
FY2006: $0; FY2007 (est.): $0.
Section 533 Housing Preservation Grant Program. This program
provides funding through nonprofit groups, Indian tribes, and government agencies
to very-low and low-income home owners to repair their houses, and to rental
property owners for the rehabilitation of rental and cooperative housing to be rented
to very-low and low-income families.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 533 of the Housing Act of 1949
(amended by Section 522 of the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of
1983); 42 U.S.C., Chapter 8A, Subchapter III, 1490m.
Financing: Grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Low and very-low income rural residents. Grants may also
be made to rental property owners if they agree to make such units available to
low and very-low income occupants. Assistance is limited to $15,000 per unit.
Funding: FY2005: $8.8 million; FY2006: $9.9 million; FY2007 (est.): $9.9
million.
Section 515 Rural Rental Housing Direct Loans. The Section 515 rental
housing program houses the poor through 50-year, 1% loans and rental assistance.
The program is typically used in conjunction with the Section 521 Rental Assistance
Program (see below). With assistance, tenants pay a maximum of 30% of their
income toward rent and utilities. Some 515 projects also use Housing and Urban
Development Section 8 project-based assistance which enables additional very-low
income families to be helped. There are four variations of the Section 515 loan
program: (1) Cooperative Housing, (2) Downtown Renewal Areas, (3) Congregate
Housing or Group Homes for Persons with Disabilities, and (4) the Rural Housing
Demonstration Program.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 515 of the Housing Act of 1949; 42
U.S.C. 1490(c).
Financing: This program uses a public-private partnership to provide direct
subsidized interest loans at 1% interest rate to limited-profit and nonprofit
developers to construct or to renovate affordable rental complexes in rural areas.
Eligibility Criteria: For very-low, low-, and moderate-income families. In
new Section 515 projects, 95% of tenants must have very-low incomes. In
existing projects 75% of new tenants must have very low incomes.

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CRS-13
Funding: Loan authorization for FY2005: $99.2 million; FY2006: $99.0
million; FY2007 (est.): $0; Loan subsidies (budget authority) for FY2005: $46.7
million; FY2006: $45.4 million; FY2007 (est.): $0.
Section 538 Multi-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program. The
program funds construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of multifamily housing
for low to moderate-income residents. It provides 90% loan guarantees to certified
lenders to make rental housing affordable to low and moderate-income residents. For
the nonprofit sector, the program covers 97% loan-to-value ratios.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 538 of the Housing Act of 1949; 42
U.S.C. 1485.
Financing: Guarantees market-rate loans made by private lenders.
Eligibility Criteria: Residents of the completed housing facility must be very
low- to moderate-income households; or elderly, or disabled persons with
income not in excess of 115% of the median income of the surrounding area.
Funding: Loan authorization in FY2005: $97.2 million; FY2006: $99.0 million;
FY2007 (est.): $198.0 million. Loan subsides (budget authority) for FY2005:
$3.4 million; FY2006: $5.4 million; FY2007 (est.): $15.3 million.
Section 521 Rental Assistance Program. The objective of this program
is to help mitigate the burden on the nearly 25% of rural households who pay more
than 30% of their income on housing costs.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 521(a)(2) of the Housing Act of 1949;
42 U.S.C. 1490.
Financing: Rental Assistance is project-based assistance used in conjunction
with Section 515 and Section 514/516 loan/grant programs. The program
provides rental assistance directly to the owners of some RHS-financed projects
under contracts specifying that beneficiaries will pay no more than 30% of their
income for rent. The program makes up the difference between the tenant’s
contribution and the rental charge.
Eligibility Criteria: The subsidy goes to the housing unit, not an individual
tenant. In effect, the subsidy indirectly goes to the tenant through lower rent
payments.
Funding: FY2005: $592.9 million; FY2006: $638.6 million; FY2007 (est.):
$486.3 million.
Housing Demonstration Program. Under this program, RHS may provide
loans to low income borrowers to purchase innovative housing units and systems
that do not meet existing published standards, rules, regulations, or policies. The
objective of the demonstration programs is to test new approaches to constructing
housing under the statutory authority granted to the Secretary of Agriculture. The
intended effect is to increase the availability of affordable rural housing for low-
income families through innovative designs and systems.
Statutory Authority: Title V, Section 506(b), Housing Act of 1949; 42 U.S.C.
1476.

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CRS-14
Financing: Loans and grants. Aggregate expenditures for the demonstration
may not exceed $10 million in any fiscal year.
Eligibility Criteria: Section 506 (b) requires that the health and safety of the
population of the areas in which the demonstrations are carried out will not be
adversely affected.
Funding: Program funding is reserved through other RHS programs listed
above.
USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS)
Creating and retaining employment in rural areas has been a central focus of
rural development policies for nearly 75 years. Originally, agriculture, mining,
fishing, and timbering related jobs were major targets of public funding. Since the
mid-1950s, manufacturing was regarded as the most promising source of rural
employment as jobs in the primary sector declined. Abundant and largely non-
unionized labor, inexpensive land, and minimal environmental regulation were rural
America’s competitive advantage as many manufacturing facilities sought branch
production facilities. While manufacturing has provided relatively high-paying and
stable employment for many rural residents, the U.S. rural manufacturing sector finds
itself today competing with developing countries and with Eastern Europe. Low-
skilled, peripheral manufacturing facilities are leaving U.S. rural areas. Today, rural
areas are trying to create new sources of competitive advantage in more
technologically sophisticated production with higher-skill labor. With lack of capital
a significant factor in many rural areas, the RBS provides loans and grants to help
local entrepreneurs in starting up businesses and in expanding existing businesses.12
Other RBS programs provide specialized technical and marketing assistance. Several
programs authorized in the 2002 farm bill (P.L.107-171) address the new needs of
rural businesses, especially in capital formation.
Rural Intermediary Relending Program. These direct loans are made to
private nonprofit corporations, state or local government agencies, Indian tribes, and
cooperatives who, in turn, lend the funds to rural businesses, private nonprofit
organizations, and others. Assistance from the intermediary to the ultimate recipient
must be for economic development projects, establishment of new businesses, and/or
expansion of existing businesses, creation of new employment opportunities and/or
saving existing rural jobs.
Statutory Authority: Health and Human Services Act of 1986, Section 407,
P.L. 99-425, 7 U.S.C. 1932 note; Food Security Act of 1985, Section 1323, as
amended, P.L.99-198, 7 U.S.C. 1631; Community Economic Development Act
of 1981, Section 623, as amended, P.L.97-35, 42 U.S.C. 9812. ;7 U.S.C. 1932;
42 U.S.C. 9812.
Financing: Loans are made by RBS to intermediaries that provide loans to
ultimate recipients for business facilities and community development projects.
Eligibility Criteria: Financing is limited to community development projects
not within the outer boundary of any city having a population of 25,000 or more.
12 Other RBS-administered programs within the Rural Community Advancement Program
are discussed in a later section.

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CRS-15
Funding: Loan authorization for FY2005: $33.9 million; FY2006: $33.9
million; FY2007:$33.9 million (est.). Loan subsidies (budget authority) for
FY2005: $15.7 million; FY2006: $14.5 million; FY2007 (est.): $14.9 million.
Rural Economic Development Loans. This program provides zero-
interest loans for RUS borrowers who then re-lend the funds at zero interest to rural
businesses.
Statutory Authority: Rural Electrification Act of 1936, as amended, Title III,
7 U.S.C. 930-940c; 7 U.S.C. 1932(a).
Financing: Direct loans.
Eligibility Criteria: Loans are made to electric and telephone utilities that have
current loans with the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) or Rural Telephone Bank
loans or guarantees outstanding and are not delinquent on any federal debt or in
bankruptcy proceedings.
Funding: Loan authorization for FY2005: $24.3 million; FY2006: $24.7
million; FY2007 (est.): $34.6 million. Loan subsidies (budget authority) for
FY2005: $4.6 million; FY2006: $4.9million; FY2007 (est.): $7.6 million.
Rural Economic Development Grants. Grants are used to establish a
revolving loan fund program to promote economic development in rural areas. The
revolving loan fund provides capital to nonprofit organizations and municipal
organizations to finance community facilities in rural areas that promote job creation
and education and training to enhance marketable skills, or improve medical care.
Statutory Authority: Section 313 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936; 7
U.S.C. 930-940(c); 7 U.S.C. 1932.
Financing: Grants. Funds are provided from the interest differential on Rural
Utilities Service borrowers’ cushion of credit accounts. The cushion of credit
account was established under Section 313 of the Rural Electrification Act
(REA). Under this program, RUS borrowers may make voluntary deposits into
a special cushion of credit account. A borrower’s cushion of credit account
balance accrues interest to the borrower at an annual rate of 5%. The amounts
in the cushion of credit account (deposits and earned interest) can only be used
to make scheduled payments on loans made or guaranteed under REA.
Eligibility Criteria: Economic development projects benefitting rural areas.
Funding may be used for feasibility studies, start-up costs, and incubator
projects.
Funding: FY2005: $8.1 million; FY2006: $10.0 million; FY2007 (est.): $10.0
million.
Rural Cooperative Development Grants. The grants were established
under the 1996 farm bill (P. L. 104-127) which eliminated the term “technology “
from the previously authorized Rural Technology and Cooperative Development
Grant Program. Grants are made to fund the establishment and operation of centers
for rural cooperative development with their primary purpose being the improvement
of economic conditions in rural areas through the creation of new or improvement
of cooperatives. Grants may be made to nonprofit institutions or higher education
institutions. Grants may be used to pay up to 75% of the cost of the project and
associated administrative costs. The applicant must contribute 25% from non-federal

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CRS-16
sources. Grants under this program are competitive and awarded on specific selection
criteria.
Statutory Authority: Section 310 B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1932(e); 42 U.S.C. 9817.
Financing: Grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Grants to nonprofit corporations and institutions of higher
education. For this program, rural is defined as all territories of a state not
within the outer boundary of any city having a population of 50,000 or more
based on the latest decennial census of the United States.
Funding: FY2005: $7.0 million; FY2006: $4.4 million; FY2007 (est.): $4.9
million.
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) Program.
A cooperative agreement established by the 1985 farm bill, the program was
transferred to the Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service in 1990. The
1996 farm bill transferred the program back to USDA’s Rural Business Service. The
program is an account of the Rural Cooperative Grants program. It provides
information to farmers and other rural users on a variety of sustainable agricultural
practices that include both cropping and livestock operations. The ATTRA program
is located on the University of Arkansas campus at Fayetteville, Arkansas, and
functions as an information and technical assistance center staffed with sustainable
agriculture specialists.
Statutory Authority: Section 1323 of the Food Security Act of 1985; 7 U.S.C.
1932.
Financing: The program is funded through a cooperative agreement between
the not-for-profit National Center for Appropriate Technology and the Rural
Business-Cooperative Service.
Eligibility Criteria: Open.
Funding: For FY2005: $2.5 million; FY2006: $2.5 million; FY2007: $0.
Value-Added Agricultural Production Market Development Grants.
The program provides grants to assist farmers and ranchers in creating greater value
for agricultural commodities. A provision in the 2002 farm bill makes mandatory
funding for this program to FY2007. A portion of the fund was reserved for the
establishment of Agricultural Demonstration Centers which will provide training and
technical assistance to new or expanding value-added agricultural enterprises. Ten
centers were established in FY2003 and funded at $1 million each.
Statutory Authority: Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (P.L.106-224);
Section 6401 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L.107-
171).
Financing: Competitive grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Profit and nonprofit organizations, cooperatives.

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CRS-17
Funding: FY2005: $15.5 million; FY2006: $20.5 million; FY2007: $19.0
million (est.).13
National Sheep Industry Improvement Center. Established by the 1996
farm bill, this program is an industry-driven education and marketing program
directed at enhancing the U.S. sheep and goat industry. The program provides seed-
money that promotes investment to allow the program to become independent by
2006.
Statutory Authority: Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of
1996; 7 U.S.C. 2008j.
Financing: A revolving fund providing a variety of financing mechanisms, e.g.,
direct and guaranteed loans, grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Eligible entities include public, private, or cooperative
organizations, associations, including corporations not operated for profit,
Federally recognized Indian tribes, or public or quasi-public agencies. An
individual is not considered an eligible entity. Fifty-one percent of the entity
must be owned by citizens of the United States or reside in the United States
after being legally admitted for permanent residence.
Funding: Initially, $20 million was authorized to establish the fund, without
fiscal year limitations. FY2005: $415,000; FY2006: $1.2 million; FY2007: $0.
Rural Business Investment Program. This program was established by
the 2002 Farm Bill and creates limited liability companies (Rural Business
Investment Companies) to make equity capital investments in rural businesses.
These companies will be financed with both private funds and debt instruments
guaranteed by the federal government. The program will be operated under a
Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Small
Business Administration.
Statutory Authority: Section 6029, Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (P. L. 107-171).
Financing: Direct loans, guaranteed debentures, and grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Designation by the Secretary as a Rural Business
Company.
Funding: “Such sums as necessary” are authorized to cover the costs of
guaranteeing a total of $280 million of debentures. In addition, $44 million in
mandatory funding is authorized for grants and $56 million for direct loan
subsidies. A portion of the mandatory funding for the program was blocked by
appropriators in FY2003 and FY2004 while providing some initial funding to
begin the program. For FY2006: $11 million.
13 FY2001 funds were provided in the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 and the
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2002 (P.L.106-387). Subsequent funding (FY2002-FY2007) is
provided by the 2002 farm bill. In FY2004-2006, appropriators blocked the mandatory
funding and provided discretionary funds, but in amounts less than the authorized mandatory
level.

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CRS-18
Rural Strategic Investment Program. This program was established by
the 2002 farm bill. It establishes a National Board on Rural America that will make
planning grants and innovations grants to certified Regional Investment Boards. As
with the Rural Business Investment Program above, this program is also designed to
address the general lack of investment capital in many rural areas.
Statutory Authority: Section 6030, Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (P. L. 107-171).
Financing: Planning grants and innovation grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Designation by the Secretary as a Regional Investment
Board.
Funding: The program was authorized for $100 million in mandatory funding
in FY2002. Appropriators have blocked expenditures for the program in
FY2002-FY2006. The Administration has requested no funding for the
program in FY2007.
Renewable Energy Loan and Grant Program. This program provides
funding to eligible farmers, ranchers, and small businesses in purchasing renewable
energy systems and making existing energy systems more efficient.
Statutory Authority: Section 9006, Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (P. L. 107-171).
Financing: Loans and grants.
Eligibility Criteria:
Funding: The program was authorized for $23.0 million in mandatory funds
per fiscal year, FY2003-FY2007. Appropriators prohibited the expenditure of
any of the mandatory funds to carry out the program in FY2005-FY2006, but
did provide $23.0 million in discretionary funding in each year. The
Administration has requested cancelling the mandatory funding for FY2007 and
providing $10.2 million in discretionary funding.
USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
Arguably, the earliest rural development policy consisted of providing
infrastructure to get rural products to markets or to transportation nodes. Building
railroads, roads, and telegraph lines represent early examples. Later electricity and
telephones constituted essential rural infrastructure. Because of great geographical
distances and low population densities, rural areas would unlikely have had such
services without federal support. The 1936 Rural Electrification Act discussed above
was central to the provision of rural utilities in an urbanizing society. Today, rural
electrification, telecommunications, and water infrastructure are the core programs
administered by the Rural Utilities Service.14 New infrastructure includes facilities
for health service delivery (e.g., telemedicine) and new broadband
telecommunication resources. As was the case in the early years of the nation, great
distances and sparse populations have also led Congress to provide funding for these
14 Water and waste water programs are administered under the Rural Community
Advancement Program and are discussed in the following section.

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CRS-19
new rural utilities as well as continuing support for telephones and electrical
generation and transmission.
Electric Loan Program. Loans are made to expand, upgrade, maintain, and
replace rural electric infrastructure. Interest rates are tied to the economic conditions
of the areas served and the costs of providing services to the area. Most RUS-
financed systems have their loan rates capped at 7% although there are three interest
rate levels: (1) direct loans for distressed areas, (2) Treasury rate loans, and (3)
municipal rate loans. Borrowers must generally obtain approximately half their
capital needs from the private sector. RUS also makes guaranteed loans through the
Federal Financing Bank, National Bank for Cooperatives, and National Rural
Utilities Cooperative Finance Cooperation. The interest rate on loans by the Federal
Financing Bank is based on the Treasury rate plus 1/8%. Because of a very low
default rate, the FFB loan guarantee program has a zero subsidy cost. Most loans are
made for 35 years and are secured by the borrower’s electric system assets.
Statutory Authority: Section 305, Rural Electrification Act of 1936; 7 U.S.C.
904, 935.
Financing: Three loan levels: Hardship loans are made to applicants whose
consumers fall below average per capita and household income thresholds.
Municipal rate loans are based on interest rates available in the municipal bond
market. Borrowers are required to seek supplemental financing for 30% of their
capital requirements. Treasury rate loans are based on rates established daily
by the U.S. Treasury.
Eligibility Criteria: Electricity producers and transmitters serving rural
populations.
Funding: Enacted loan authorization levels for FY2005: $4.32 billion; FY2006:
$5.39 billion; FY2007 (est.): $3.84 billion. Subsidies (budget authority) for
FY2005: $5.0 million; FY2006: $6.1 million; FY2007 (est.): $2.7 million.15
Telecommunications Loans. This program makes loans for infrastructure
improvement and expansion to furnish and improve telephone service, including a
variety of related telecommunications purposes such as broadband service in rural
areas. RUS lends directly to rural telecommunication systems and guarantees loans
made by other lenders.
Statutory Authority: Rural Electrification Act of 1936; 7 U.S.C. 922.
Financing: Direct loans for construction, expansion, and operation of
telecommunication lines and facilities or systems.
Eligibility Criteria: Three loan levels: Hardship loans are made to applicants
whose consumers fall below average per capita and household income
thresholds. Municipal rate loans are based on interest rates available in the
municipal bond market. Treasury rate loans are based on rates established daily
by the U.S. Treasury. Guaranteed loans are made through the Federal Financing
Bank.
15 Includes loan authorization for guaranteed loans.

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CRS-20
Funding: Enacted loan authorization levels for FY2005: $518.0 million;
FY2006: $689.8 million; FY2007 (est.): $689.2 million. Loan subsidies (budget
authority) for FY2005: $99,000; FY2006: $210,000; FY2007 (est.): $605,000.
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loans and Grants. This
program provides financial assistance to rural community facilities, e.g., schools,
libraries, hospitals, and medical centers. The Telecommunications Act of 1996
targeted rural areas because of the difficulties they have in providing high quality
education and medical services. This program helps rural schools and hospitals
obtain and use advanced telecommunications for health and educational services.
Statutory Authority: Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990;
7 U.S.C. 950 aaa-2 et seq.
Financing: Interest rates depend on the financial condition of the borrower
system and the costs of providing service to rural subscribers. Cost of money
loans are supplemented by loans from the Rural Telephone Bank. Most rural
systems are eligible for loans at a hardship rate of 4%. The program also makes
guaranteed loans.
Eligibility Criteria: Loans are made to utilities serving rural communities.
Funding: Grants and combination loan/grants ($10 in loans to $1 in grants).
Loan authorization in FY2005: $50.0 million; FY2006: $24.7 million; FY2007:
$0 million (est.). Loan subsidies (budget authority) for FY2005: $704,000;
FY2006: $371,000; FY2007: $0 (est.). Grant funding for FY2005: $34.7
million; FY2006: $29.7 million; FY2006 (est.): $24.7 million.
Rural Telephone Bank. The Rural Telephone Bank (RTB) was designed to
ensure rural telephone systems’ access to private sources of capital by establishing
a supplemental credit mechanism to which borrower systems may turn for all or part
of their future capital requirements. The capital structure of the Telephone Bank
consists of three classes of stock: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Class A stock was
issued to the Telephone Bank in exchange for appropriated $600 million of capital
provided by the taxpayers. This provided the Telephone Bank with its initial “seed”
money to begin its lending operations. Through sales of Class A stock, the RTB is
being privatized.
Statutory Authority: Rural Electrification Act of 1936; 7 U.S.C. 941, et seq.
Financing: Interest rates depend on the financial condition of the borrower
system and the costs of providing service to rural subscribers. Most rural
systems are eligible for loans at a hardship rate of 5%.
Eligibility Criteria: Utilities serving rural communities.
Funding: Loan authorization level FY2005: $175.0 million; FY2006: $0;
FY2007 (est.): $0. Loan subsidies (budget authority) for FY2005: $0 million;
FY2006: $0; FY2007: $0 (est.).
Broadband Loans and Grants. New telecommunication technologies will
increasingly rely on infrastructure that can carry signals more complex than simple
voice and at significantly faster speeds. Rural areas are currently at a disadvantage
in gaining access to these newer technologies, in part, because the costs per user are
higher than in more urbanized areas. RUS provides loans and grants to support
acquisition./construction of broadband facilities in under-served rural areas.

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CRS-21
Statutory Authority: Rural Electrification Act of 1936; 7 U.S.C. 922.
Financing: Interest rates on loans depend on the financial condition of the
borrower system and the costs of providing service to rural subscribers. There
are three interest rate levels: Three interest rate levels: hardship, Treasury, and
municipal. Treasury loans may be supplemented by loans from the Rural
Telephone Bank. Most rural systems are eligible for loans at a hardship rate of
4%.
Eligibility Criteria: The “community-oriented connectivity” approach will
target rural, economically-challenged communities and offer a means for the
deployment of broadband transmission services to rural schools, libraries,
education centers, health care providers, law enforcement agencies, public
safety organizations as well as residents and businesses. Community eligibility
requirements for funding through the Community Connect Broadband Grant
Program include areas with (1) 20,000 or fewer residents, (2) no prior access to
a broadband transmission service; and (3) a minimum matching contribution
equal to 15% of the grant amount awarded.
Funding: Loan authorization levels for FY2003: $0; FY2004: $598.1 million;
FY2005 (est): $331.1 million. Loan subsidies (budget authority) for FY2003:
$0; FY2004: $13.0 million; FY2005: $9.9 million. Broadband
telecommunication grants for FY2003: $32.8 million; FY2004: $8.9 million;
FY2005: $0 (est.).
Enhancement of Access to Broadband Service in Rural Areas. This
program provides loans, grants, and loan guarantees to construct, improve, and
acquire facilities and equipment to provide broadband service to rural areas with less
than 20,000 residents.
Statutory Authority: Section 6103, Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (P. L. 107-171).
Financing: Loans and grants. Loans are made at 4%.
Eligibility Criteria: Rural areas of less than 20,000 population and outside of
an urban/metro commuting area.
Funding: Mandatory funding was authorized at $20 million per year, FY2002-
2005 and $10 million in FY2006 and FY2007. Appropriators have blocked
funding for the program in FY2002-FY2006. The Administration requests no
funding for FY2007. Other RUS loan and grant programs provide discretionary
funding for broadband (see above).
Local Television Loans. This program was authorized by the Launching
Our Communities’ Access to Local Television Act of 2000 (P. L. 106-553). The
legislation provides for the establishment of the Local Television Loan Guarantee
Board. The program facilitates access, on a technologically neutral basis, to signals
of local television stations for households located in non-served or under-served
areas.
Statutory Authority: Title X of the FY2001 Commerce, Justice, State
Appropriations Act (P.L.106-553); 7 U.S.C. 1932(f); 47 U.S.C. 1103(f)(2).
Financing: Loan guarantees.
Eligibility Criteria: The Loan Guarantee Board is authorized to approve loan
guarantees of up to 80% of the total loan amount for no more than $1.25 billion

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CRS-22
in loans. A guarantee may not be approved under for a project that is designed
primarily to serve one or more of the top 40 designated market areas (as that
term is defined in 17 U.S.C. 122(j)), in accordance with the Local TV Act, 47
USC 1103 (e)(1)(C)(I).
Funding: Loan authorization level for FY2005: $0; FY2006: $0; FY2007: $0
(est.).
High Energy Cost Grants. The purpose of this grant program is to provide
financial assistance for a broad range of energy facilities, equipment and related
activities to offset the impacts of extremely high residential energy costs on eligible
communities. Eligible facilities include on-grid and off-grid renewable energy
systems and implementation of cost-effective demand side management and energy
conservation programs that benefit eligible communities.
Statutory Authority: Rural Electrification Act of 1936; 7 U.S.C. 918(a).
Financing: Competitive grants. No cost sharing or matching funds are required
as a condition of eligibility under this grant program. However, RUS will
consider other financial resources available to the grantee and any voluntary
commitment of matching funds or other contributions in assessing the grantee’s
capacity to carry out the grant program successfully and will award additional
evaluation points to proposals that include such contributions. As a further
condition of each grant, section 19(b)(2) of the RE Act requires that planning
and administrative expenses may not exceed 4 percent of the grant funds.
Eligibility Criteria: Areas with high energy costs are those where the average
residential expenditure for home energy is 275% of the national average.
Funding: For FY2005: $34.8; FY2006: $27.8 million; FY2007: $0.
Rural Community Advancement Program (RCAP)
The Rural Community Advancement Program (RCAP) was authorized by the
1996 farm bill, the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act (P. L. 104-
127). The program consolidates funding for 12 rural development loan and grant
programs into three accounts: Rural Community Facilities, Rural Utilities, and Rural
Business-Cooperative Programs. RCAP was created as a mechanism to enhance the
performance of many of USDA’s categorical rural development programs. For
example, the Community Facility Grant program reorganized by the 1996 farm bill
is used in conjunction with existing loan and grant programs for the development of
essential community facilities such as fire stations, community centers, and medical
clinics. RCAP also was designed to provide greater flexibility in targeting financial
assistance to local needs by permitting a portion of the various accounts’ funds to be
shifted from one funding stream to another. Funding can be allocated to state rural
development offices by formula where state directors set priorities particular to their
state’s rural needs. State directors are authorized to transfer up to 25% of the amount
in each RCAP account allocated for the state to any of the other accounts. Although
RCAP has its own budget line, the various programs consolidated under RCAP are
administered by RHS, RBS, and RUS.

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CRS-23
Within the three RCAP accounts discussed below, there are various directed
spending targets listed in Table 1. The following table lists the FY2005 and FY2006
funding for these targeted programs and a brief description of the programs.
Table 1: Directed Spending in RCAP Accounts
Program
Description FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
(est.)
Federally
Community facilities and
$25.0 million
$25.0 million
$9.0 million
Recognized
economic development
Native American
funding for Native
Tribes
American Tribes
Rural
Capacity building (see
$3.9 million
$6.3 million
$0
Community
below)
Development
Initiative
Delta Regional
Assistance to counties in
$1.0 million
$2.0
$0
Authority
the Mississippi Delta
million
Region
Colonias
Water and waste water
$25.0 million
$25.0 million
$10.0
assistance to
million
impoverished areas along
the U.S.-Mexican border
Alaskan Villages
Water and Waste water
$26.0 million
$25.0 million
$0
disposal projects in
Alaska Native villages
Technical
Rural water and waste
$18.2 million
$18.2 million
$16.2
Assistance
water system support
million
Circuit Rider
Technical assistance for
$13.5 million
$13.7 million
$9.5 million
Program
rural water systems
Empowerment
Targeted economic
$22.2 million
$21.4 million
$14.8
Zones/Enterprise
development zones with
million
Communities
high unemployment and
and Rural
poverty rates
Economic
Partnership
Zones
Economic
Economic development
$19.7 million
$17.8 million
$0
Impact Initiative
funding for areas
Grants
experiencing high
unemployment and out-
migration
High Energy
Funding for rural areas
$27.7
$26.0 million
$0
Cost Grants
experiencing high
million
residential energy costs
(see below)
The following section provides an overview of the major components of
RCAP’s three accounts.

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CRS-24
Community Facilities Account
Community Facility Direct and Guaranteed. Loans are made for
constructing, enlarging, or improving essential community facilities in rural areas and
towns of not more than 20,000 population. Eligible applicants must demonstrate that
they cannot obtain funding in the commercial market at reasonable rates.
Applications for health and public safety projects receive the highest priority.
Interest rates are determined by the median family income of the area and range from
4.5% to 5.375%. In the case of guaranteed loans, the loans are made by a private
lender and the interest rate is negotiated between lender and borrower.
Statutory Authority: Section 306(a)(1) of the Consolidated Agriculture and
Rural Development Act of 1972.
Financing: Direct loan subsidies and guaranteed loans.
Eligibility Criteria: Priority is for loans to build essential community facilities
that support public health and safety.
Funding: Loan authorization levels for direct loans in FY2005: $729.3 million
(includes hurricane emergency supplemental funding); FY2006: $297.0 million;
FY2007: $297.0 million (est). Subsidy levels for direct loans in FY2005: $29.5
million; FY2006: $9.9; FY2007: $19.0 million (est.). Loan authorization levels
for guaranteed loans in FY2005: $194.9 million; FY2006: $207.9 million;
FY2007: $207.9 million (est.).
Community Facility Grants. In most cases, these grants are used in
conjunction with the direct loan program to make community facilities available,
(e.g., fire stations, community centers) to the neediest communities, which often
cannot afford even direct loans without additional subsidies. These grants were
authorized under the 1996 farm bill (P.L.104-127).
Statutory Authority: Section 306(a)(1) of the Consolidated Agriculture and
Rural Development Act of 1972.
Financing: Grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Low-income communities unable to secure funding on a
loan basis. Public bodies, nonprofit organizations, special purpose districts,
e.g., nursing homes, are eligible applicants. Funding is for communities of
20,000 or less. Priority is given to communities of 5,000 or less. Facility must
serve areas where median household income is below the poverty line or 90%of
the state non-metropolitan median household income.
Funding: FY2005: $24.5 million (includes hurricane emergency supplemental
funding); FY2006: $16.8 million; FY2007: $16.8 million (est). Additional
grant funds were earmarked in the Community Facilities Account for Economic
Impact Initiative Grants targeted to communities suffering economic hardship
and population out-migration: FY2005: $19.7 million; FY2006: $17.8 million;
FY2007: $0 million (est.).
Rural Community Development Initiative Grants. A program
authorized in FY2002. The program provides grants from RCAP accounts for
capacity-building among private, nonprofit community development organizations

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CRS-25
and low-income rural communities in the areas of housing, community facilities, and
community and economic development.
Statutory Authority: Appropriation Act for Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, P.L.106-387; 7 U.S.C. 1932.
Financing: Competitive grants. Requires matching funds.
Eligibility Criteria: Only qualified intermediary organizations are eligible for
the technical assistance grants. Such organizations must supply matching funds
from non-Federal sources to receive the grants.
Funding: FY2005: $3.9 million; FY2006: $6.3 million; FY2007: $0 (est.).
Rural Business-Cooperative Account
Business and Industry (B&I) Direct and Guaranteed Loans. This
program finances business and industry acquisition, construction, conversion,
expansion, and repair in rural areas. Loan funds can be used to finance the purchase
and development of land, supplies and materials, and pay start-up costs of rural
businesses. Eligible applicants include individuals as well as public, private, and
cooperative organizations. Although the RBS did make direct loans to groups in
FY2001 and in previous years, with the FY2002 budget forward, there have been no
appropriations for the direct loan program due to a high rate of default.16
Statutory Authority: Section 310B(a)(1) of the Consolidated Agriculture and
Rural Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1932.
Financing: Subsidized interest loans and guarantees for loans provided by
lenders. Interest rates for guaranteed loans are negotiated between a lender and

a borrower. A maximum guaranteed loan is $25 million. For loans of $5
million or less, maximum percentage of a guarantee is 80%. For loans between
$5 and $10 million, maximum percentage of guarantee is 70%. For loans
between $10 and $25 million, maximum percentage of guarantee is 60%.
Eligibility Criteria: Borrowers must be unable to obtain credit from other
lenders at reasonable rates and terms. Criteria for projects are (1) those that
save existing jobs, (2) improve existing businesses or industry and (3) create the
greatest number of permanent jobs. Golf courses, race tracks, and gambling
operations are ineligible.
Funding: No funding for the direct loan program was provided in FY2005 and
FY2006 nor requested for FY2007. Loan authorization levels for guaranteed
loans (including North American Development Bank loan guarantees) in
FY2005: $678.1 million loan authorization with a loan subsidy of $34.2 million;
FY2006: $1.0 billion loan authorization with a subsidy of $48.4 million;
FY2007: $990.0 million loan authorization with a loan subsidy of $43.2 million
(est.).
Rural Business Opportunity Grants. Grants are made to public bodies,
nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes, and cooperatives for training and technical
16 For RBS loan performance data, see Rural Development: Rural Business-Cooperative
Service Business Loan Losses. GAO/RCED, August, 1999.

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CRS-26
assistance to rural businesses, economic planning for rural communities, or training
for rural entrepreneurs or economic development officials.
Statutory Authority: Section 741, Federal Agriculture Improvement and
Reform Act of 1996; Section 306(a)(11)(A) of the Consolidated Agriculture and
Rural Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1932.
Financing: Competitive grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Grants are made to public bodies, nonprofit corporations,
Federally recognized tribal groups, and cooperatives with members that are
primarily rural residents.
Funding: FY2005: $3.1 million; FY2006: $3.0 million; FY2007: $.0 million
(est).
Rural Business Enterprise Grants. These are grants to encourage the
development of small and emerging business enterprises; creation and expansion of
rural distance learning networks; and to provide educational instruction or job
training related to potential employment for adult students. Grants are also available
to qualified nonprofit organizations for provision of technical assistance and training
to rural communities for improving passenger transportation services or facilities.
Statutory Authority: Section 310N(c) and 310B(f) of the Consolidated
Agriculture and Rural Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1932(c).
Financing: Competitive grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Priority for the grants is given to rural areas having a
population of 25,000 or less. Other priorities include projects located in
communities with large proportion of low-income residents and/or high
unemployment.
Funding: FY2005: $41.3 million; FY2006: $39.9 million; FY2007 (est.): $0
million (est.).
Rural Utilities Account
RCAP’s Water and Waste loan and grant programs assist eligible applicants in
rural areas and cities and towns of up to 10,000 residents. Drinking water, sanitary
sewerage, solid waste disposal and storm drainage facilities may be financed with
direct and guaranteed loans and grants. Applicants must be unable to finance their
needs through their own resources or with credit from commercial sources. The
programs are administered by state and local USDA Rural Development offices.
Water and Waste Disposal Direct and Guaranteed Loans. Loans are
made to public bodies, organizations operated on a not-for-profit basis, and Indian
tribes on federal and state reservations for development of storage, treatment,
purification, or distribution of water or for collection, treatment, and disposal of
waste in rural areas. Loans are repayable in not more than 40 years, or the useful life
of the facility, whichever is less.
Statutory Authority: Section 306 of the Consolidated Agriculture and Rural
Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1926.

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CRS-27
Financing: Direct loans carry interest rates not in excess of the current market
yield for comparable term municipal obligations. The interest rate on loans
cannot exceed 5% (they are currently being made at 4.5%) for those areas where
the (1) median household income of the service area falls below the higher of
80% of the statewide non-metro median household income or the poverty level;
and (2) the project is needed to meet applicable health or sanitary standards.
The intermediate rate, which is halfway between the poverty rate and the
market rate, with a ceiling of 7%, applies to those projects that do not meet the
requirements for the poverty rate but are located in areas where the median
household income does not exceed 100% of the statewide non-metro median
household income. Guaranteed loans are made to the same groups and for
similar purposes except that loans are guaranteed by RUS for 80% of the loan
amount or, in exceptional circumstances, 90% of the loan amount. The interest
rate is negotiated between borrower and lender.
Eligibility Criteria: A rural area may include an area in any city or town that
has a population of not more than 10,000 residents. Applicants must be unable
to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere at reasonable rates to finance actual needs.
Funding: Loan authorization level for direct loans in FY2005: $921.4 million;
FY2006: $1.06 billion; FY2007: $990.0 million (est.). Loan subsidies for direct
loans in FY2005: $82.9 million; FY2006: $73.4 million; FY2007: $164.7
million (est.). Loan authorization levels for guaranteed loans in FY2005: $2.9
million; FY2006: $75.0 million; FY2007: $75.0 million (est.).
Water and Waste Disposal Grants. Grants are made to public, quasi-
public, and nonprofit associations as in the loan program. Grants are directed to
projects serving the most financially needy communities. Grants are made to
communities that have a median household income that falls below the higher of the
poverty level or 100% of the state’s non-metro household income. Grant amounts
provide higher funding levels for projects in communities that have lower income
levels but they may not exceed 75% of the eligible development costs of the project.
In addition, between 1% and 3% of the grant funds appropriated each year for water
and waste water is available for technical assistance and training to assist
communities in identifying and evaluating alternative solutions to problems related
to water and waste disposal, preparing applications, and improving operation and
maintenance practices at existing facilities.
Statutory Authority: Section 306(a)(2) of the Consolidated Agriculture and
Rural Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1926.
Financing: Grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Grants are made only if needed to reduce user charges to
a reasonable level. For a grant of up to 70% of eligible costs, service area
median household income must be below the poverty level or below 80% of the
State non-metropolitan median household income, whichever is higher.
Funding: FY2005: $507.5 million (includes hurricane emergency supplemental
funding); FY2006: $508.7 million (includes hurricane emergency supplemental
funding); FY2007: $345.9 million (est.).
Solid Waste Management Grants. Grants made to local and regional
governments and to nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance and

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CRS-28
training for the purposes of reducing or eliminating pollution of water resources and
improving management of solid waste facilities.
Statutory Authority: Section 310B(b) of the Consolidated Agriculture and
Rural Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1932(b).
Financing: Grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Assistance is available in rural areas and towns with a
population of 10,000 or less.
Funding: FY2005: $3.5 million; FY2006: $3.5 million; FY2007: $3.5 million
(est.).
Emergency and Imminent Community Water Assistance Grants.
The program assists rural communities that have had a significant decline in quantity
or quality of drinking water. Grants can be made in rural areas and cities or towns
with a population not in excess of 10,000 and a median household income not more
than 100% of a State’s non-metropolitan median household income. Grants may be
made for 100% of project costs. The maximum grant is $500,000 when a significant
decline in quantity or quality of water occurred within two years, or $75,000 to make
emergency repairs and replacement of facilities on existing systems.
Statutory Authority: Sections 306A and 306B of the Consolidated Agriculture
and Rural Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(b).
Financing: Grants.
Eligibility Criteria: For declared emergencies and disasters and for
communities facing actual or immanent drinking water shortages.
Funding: The 2002 farm bill (P. L. 107-171) sets aside not less than 3% nor
more than 5% of the total appropriated water and waste water funds for
emergency community water assistance. Authorizes $35 million each year in
additional funding for the program, FY2005-FY2007. For FY2005: $10.7
million; FY2006: $14.1 million; FY2007: $0 (est.).
Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grants. A percentage of the
Water and Wastewater Grant Program is available each year to provide technical
assistance for rural communities with a population of 10,000 or less. Grant funds
may be used to assist communities and rural areas in identifying and evaluating
solutions to water or wastewater problems, improving facility operation and
maintenance activities, or preparing funding applications for water or wastewater
treatment facility construction projects.
Statutory Authority: Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Agriculture and Rural
Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1989.
Financing: Grants.
Eligibility Criteria: Private, nonprofit organizations that have been granted
tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service may be eligible for grant
funds provided they can demonstrate the ability, background, experience, legal

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CRS-29
authority, and actual capacity to provide technical assistance/training on a
regional basis to small, rural communities.17
Funding: Formula funding based on the Water and Waste Water Grant
appropriation for the current fiscal year. FY2005: $18.2 million; FY2006: $18.2
million; FY2007: $16.2 million
Rural Water Circuit Rider Program. The program provides on-site
technical assistance for the operation of rural water systems. Objective is to bring
small public water systems into compliance with state and national environmental
regulations. The program complements RUS loan supervision responsibilities. RUS
contracts with the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) to provide this service
in each state.
Statutory Authority: Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Agriculture and Rural
Development Act of 1972; 7 U.S.C. 1989.
Financing: RUS has a management contract with National Rural Water
Association which contracts with state water associations. State water
associations operate the program.
Eligibility Criteria: Public water and waste water systems serving rural
communities of 10,000 or less. Many states have further prioritized funding for
very small communities.
Funding: Circuit rider staff positions are funded out of staffing authorizations
for RUS. FY2005: $13.5; FY2006: $13.7; FY2007: $9.5 million .
USDA Office of Community Development
The Office of Community Development (OCD) is part of the USDA rural
development mission area. OCD provides support for rural development activities
through USDA Rural Development’s field offices. The Office implements a range
of special rural development initiatives, disseminates information about rural
development strategies to rural development practitioners, and promotes
communication and networking among rural development experts. OCD provides
leadership and administrative oversight to two major programs: the Empowerment
Zone/Enterprise Community Initiative and the Rural Economic Area Partnership
Zones program.
Empowerment Zone/ Enterprise Community Initiative (EZ/EC). The
EZ/EC Program is a grant-making and tax-credit initiative whose objective is to
revitalize low-income rural communities in a manner that attracts private sector
investment. The purpose of the program is to demonstrate the value of innovative
and strategic alliances between State, Federal, and local resources to improve the
economic strength of rural communities. Through 3 rounds of competition, there are
17 Since 1988, the Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP), Inc., in Leesburg,
Virginia operates the Technitrain Program with grant funds under the TAT Grant Program.
RCAP has operated the program since 1988. The program began with 180 communities and
has expanded to around 500 communities in 47 States and Puerto Rico.

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CRS-30
now 10 rural EZ areas and approximately 50 rural EC communities. The average
poverty rate for designated EZ areas was approximately 35% in 2000 and the average
unemployment rate approximately 14%.
Statutory Authority: Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, Title XIII,
P.L.103-66; Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, P.L.105-34; Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act of 1999, P.L.105-277; 42 U.S.C. 11501, et seq.
Financing: Loans and grants.
Eligibility Criteria: A competitive program. A community must be a
designated Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community.
Funding: FY2005: $12.4 million; FY2006: $11.1 million; FY2007: $0(est). In
addition to these funds, funding for other USDA Rural Development program
accounts may target EZ/EC communities. For example, the EZ/ECs are targeted
in the Rural Community Advancement Program accounts (See Table 1).Round
I Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities are funded over 10 years.
Round II and III sites are funded predominantly through tax credits for
employers within EZ/EC sites.
1. Round I EZ Sites (1994)
1. Kentucky Highlands
2. Mississippi Mid-Delta
3. Texas, Rio Grande
2. Round II EZ Sites- Authorized by Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (P.L.105-34)
1.Ogalala Sioux Reservation
2.Desert Communities, California
3. Southernmost, Illinois
4. Griggs-Steele, Southwest Georgia
5. Lewiston, Maine
3. Round III EZ Sites - Authorized by the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act
of 2000; Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001
1. Aroostook County, Maine
2. Middle Rio Grande (FUTURO), Texas
Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones (REAP). This is a pilot
program for rural revitalization. The program assists rural communities suffering
from out-migration, economic crises, and geographic isolation. Designated REAP
Zones receive modest technical and financial assistance from USDA as well as other
federal agencies. REAP zones also receive special consideration and preferences
under regular Rural Development loan and grant programs. Similar to the EZ/EC
programs, REAP zones engage in community-based, long-term planning and
regularly report on their progress using OCD’s performance and benchmark reporting
system.
In 1995, two zones in North Dakota were initially designated to participate in
the REAP initiative. Subsequently, two areas in upstate New York were added in
1999. In 2000, a rural area in Vermont was designated as the fifth REAP Zone.

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CRS-31
Statutory Authority: Presidential Memorandum dated August 5, 1993; variously
dated Memoranda of Agreement; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2001 (P. L. 106-387).
Financing: Priority is given Zone applications submitted for funding through
the various programs administered by RUS, RHS, and RBS.
Eligibility Criteria: Designation by the Secretary as a REAP Zone.
Funding: In addition to appropriations to the EZ/EC program, appropriators
also provide targeted funding to REAP Zones through various RHS, RBS, and
RUS accounts and through the Rural Community Advancement Program (see
Table 1).
National Rural Development Partnership. The National Rural
Development Partnership (NRDP) was authorized by the 2002 farm bill. The NRDP
coordinates the efforts of public, private, and nonprofit groups interested in rural
development issues. State Rural Development Councils, which exist in 36 states, are
the major operative agents within the Partnership. The Partnership also includes the
National Partnership Office which is housed in USDA and a National Rural
Development Council. The latter consists of senior program managers from 40
federal agencies involved with rural development activities and national
representatives of public interest and private sector organizations.
Statutory Authority: Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Section
6201).
Financing: State rural development offices provide matching funding to support
partnership activities with State Rural Development Partnership Councils.
Eligibility Criteria: State Rural Development Partnership Councils are
composed of broadly representative pubic and private organizations.
Funding: The 2002 farm bill (P. L. 107-171) authorized $10 million in each
fiscal year FY2005-FY2007. No appropriations recommended/requested for
FY2005-FY2007, although the appropriators have encouraged the Secretary to
support the NRDP through existing program funding.

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