During the second installment of the CDFA-ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series, we continued to explore what responses and resources are available to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on rural America.

During the first installment of the CDFA-ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series, we explored the immediate response and resources at the state, local, and national levels that local leaders can use to reduce the impact of this crisis.

USDA and its Federal partners have programs that can be used to provide immediate and long-term assistance to rural communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This resource matrix organizes funding opportunities identified in the CARES Act and...

This is a Summary of the Supplemental Appropriations included in the Senate's third COVID-19 Stimulus package, the CARES Act. More than 80% of the total $339.855 billion provided in the emergency supplemental appropriations goes to state and local...

Based on the input of our 500+ members, CDFA has developed a set of policy proposals that would allow state and local governments, through development finance agencies, to be immediate problem solvers that can help alleviate the extreme economic...

CALED knows from its work supporting economic development throughout California that infrastructure financing is a challenge for many rural communities. CALED collaborated with CDFA to develop this guidebook to meet the need for a resource to help...

The Broadband ReConnect Program furnishes loans and grants to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas. This fact sheet was...

During this webinar, experts from across the country discussed creative solutions for responding to the second round of funding for the ReConnect Program, and attendees learned from the successes of the program thus far.

The Community Facilities (CF) Direct Loan Program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities. This is an Applicant Guidance Book for the USDA's Community Facilities Direct Loan Program.

This report uses information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS, 2013 to 2017) to describe the structural and economic characteristics of beginning farms and illustrate how they differ from more...

The Community Facilities (CF) Direct Loan Program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the...

Established in the 1980s, the ‘‘Aggie Bond’’ program provides beginning and low-equity farmers with access to capital. The bonds, which pay tax-exempt interest, may be used by qualifying famers for purchases of farm real estate and equipment. The...

The White House Opportunity & Revitalization Council released a list of over 160 federal financing programs that give preference to projects located in Opportunity Zones.

Eugene Goldfarb from the University of Illinois at Chicago discusses Brownfields and Redevelopment in conjunction with Opportunity Zones.

Can women and minorities get the loans they need to buy and operate farms? According to USDA survey data, these "socially disadvantaged" farmers and ranchers get a disproportionately small share of farm loans. More detailed information isn’t...

This toolkit presents USDA programs and resources that support broadband e-Connectivity. It aims to help customers navigate the agencies within USDA to find the opportunity that best fulfills their connectivity needs. From grants and loans, to...

This overview of the USDA's ReConnect Broadband Pilot Program was authored by the Congressional Research Service in July 2019.

On April 25, 2017, the President of the United States established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity through Executive Order 13790. The purpose and function of the Task Force was to identify legislative, regulatory, and...

This report provides financing strategies for St. Luc's Cultural Immersion Center in Arnaudville, Louisiana. St. Luc's is a proposed hands-on immersive engagement center for Cajun, Creole, and French language and culture.

Cities and towns across the country are undertaking new initiatives and strengthening current programs that support development and growth of local food systems while reinvesting in downtowns and existing neighborhoods. Strong interest from...

During this webinar, Lindsay Miller, Attorney with Ice Miller LLP, Heather Morgan, Executive Director of Project 17, Ryeon Corsi, Management and Program Analyst at USDA-RD, and Jeff Reiman, Vice President of The Broadband Group discussed creative...

Local Food, Local Places helps communities create walkable, healthy, economically thriving downtowns and neighborhoods through the development of local food systems.

B Vohryzek from the National Association of Development Companies provides an overview of the capital access tools offered by federal agencies at the 2019 CDFA Federal Policy Conference.

Joyce Allen from the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides an overview of the multi-and-single-family housing finance tools offered by the USDA at the 2019 CDFA Federal Policy Conference.

This March 2019 report from the Congressional Research Service outlines programs offered by the USDA's Rural Utilities Service that finance rural broadband. These include Community Connect Grants, Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grants, the...

This directory provides an overview of various sources of financing that may be available to food hubs and other food-related businesses. This directory is a partial listing of what may be available across the United States; some examples may not be...

Joseph Ben Israel with the U.S. Department of Agriculture presents on the Community Facilities Loan Program.

Dennis Reilly with the Wisconsin Health & Educational Facilities Authority (WHEFA) presents on the financing programs they offer and several case studies of Hospitals they have assisted through bond financing.

Charlie Bartsch explains the Federal financing tools available for Brownfield redevelopment in this presentation.

Clint Kaasa discusses how the USDA provides financing programs and strategies for Native communities in Arizona and considers how to leverage the available capital for even greater investment.

Barry Ryan discusses what The Rural Center is doing to support rural economic development in North Carolina.

Debra Tropp from the USDA introduces a new publication from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and USDA entitled Harvesting Opportunities: The Power of Regional Food Systems Investments to...

Urban communities like Cleveland and Cincinnati are not the only places looking for help to fund economic development. Ohio is filled with rural communities and small towns that are also in need of financing strategies. These areas face unique...

Urban communities like Atlanta and Savannah are not the only places looking for help to fund economic development. Georgia is filled with rural communities and small towns that are also in need of financing strategies. These areas face unique...

Industry experts from around the state and from various federal agencies will discuss development finance programs and their potential to spur job creation and growth in the economic development industry.

Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan looks back at the start of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative and discusses building local food systems into the USDA culture. David Deloach, owner of Freshfields, talks about operating locally grown...

The significant and transformative investments USDA has made in rural America since 2009 have strengthened our nation’s economy, our small towns and our rural communities. Today, two-thirds of rural counties have demonstrated job growth and...

A look at rural development and community healthcare projects throughout Ohio and how they came to be.

Lorraine Werner, Rural Development Community Programs Director of USDA, discusses the redevelopment finance of a hospital, the South Big Horn Hospital, in rural Wyoming.

Energy development is the fastest growing area of development finance nationwide. Caleb Bell (Bricker & Eckler LLP) discuss the financing mechanisms behind energy efficiency loans and bonds in Ohio.

Naomi Lenz (USDA) discusses the USDA's programs related to rural development, housing, community facilities, utilities, energy, and more.

Rural Development (RD) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report outlining the costs to maintain and upgrade the Rural Housing Services’ (RHS’s) inventory of 14,650 multifamily housing properties. The Comprehensive Property Assessment...

This Toolkit reflects the intention of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service to expand its current role as a technical assistance provider to food system practitioners, economic developers, and community stakeholders. This Toolkit is designed to...

This month's CDFA // BNY Mellon Development Finance Webcast , our expert speakers unlock financing for 501(c)3s to demonstrate the variety and depth of financial tools available to drive development in your community.

Joseph Ben-Israel, Assistant Deputy Administrator for Community Facilities, discusses the mission, programs, portfolio, and P3 initiative of Community Facilities.

Tim White, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, discusses how to combine New Markets Tax Credits and USDA's Community Facilities Program funding to stimulate healthcare and education across rural America.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released the Community Facilities Infrastructure Toolkit, a technical document co-authored by CDFA. This publication is designed for organizations and community leaders to better understand the complex...

Terence McGhee, Community Facilities Regional Coordinator, USDA, overviews the recently published Community Facilities Infrastructure Toolkit.

Rich Davis, Deputy Administrator, Community Facilities Programs, opens the webinar by providing an overview of the Community Facilities Program portfolio.

Martha Torrez, Director of Direct Loan/Grant Division, USDA, overviews the Community Facilities Programs and portfolio in detail.