Durbin Announces More Than $5.7 Million in USDA Funding for Rural Development
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development division has awarded a total of $5,709,200 in Community Facility Grants and Loans and Water and Waste Disposal Grants and Loans to local organizations in Illinois.
“Community facilities and services are an important part of everyday life for millions of rural Illinoisans,” said Durbin “This funding makes a significant investment in the continued operation and sustainability of local governments while helping put Illinoisans back to work.”
Each year, Rural Development administers nearly $16 billion in program loans, loan guarantees, and grants. The USDA’s Community Facilities program helps finance essential community facilities and services for public use in rural areas. Facilities and services eligible for funding include childcare centers, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings, and transportation. Community Facility Grants are awarded based on a priority point system, with small, low-income communities receiving the highest priority.
The following local governments and organizations will receive funding:
- Elburn and Countryside Community Center: $705,000 in a Community Facility Loan to replace an outdated and inefficient boiler system with a geothermal heating and cooling system and refinance current debt to attain cost savings to be passed to users of the Center. Elburn and Countryside Community Center is used for public meetings, receptions, community events, and rental space.
- Moore’s Prairie Township Water Company: $623,200 in a Community Facility Grant and $318,000 in a Community Facility Loan to construct 24 miles of water mains to serve users with a safe and dependable water supply. The current water supply for the area is obtained from contaminated wells and cisterns
- Embarras Area Water District: $658,000 in a Water and Waste Disposal Loan to construct 12 miles of water mains to serve users in Ashmore Township in Coles County with a safe and dependable water supply. This project will link the existing system across the Embarras River, insuring water service can be maintained on the east side of the river, an area with a history of difficulty in finding an adequate water supply.
- Henderson Water District: $1,000,000 in a Water and Waste Disposal Grant and $2,405,000 in a Water and Waste Disposal Loan to construct 73 miles of water mains to serve users with a safe and dependable water supply in areas of Macoupin and Montgomery County.