We are happy to announce the appointment of Xochitl Torres Small as the Under Secretary for Rural Development.

Before coming to Rural Development, Xochitl was a United States Representative for the fifth largest district in the country. In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, Xochitl kept a rural hospital from closing its doors, improved constituent access to healthcare over the phone, and helped secure tens of millions of dollars for broadband in New Mexico through USDA’s ReConnect Program. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Xochitl raised the alarm on broadband disparities, serving as an original cosponsor of the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Xochitl helped champion the needs of dairy farmers and sponsored legislation to help local producers and rural communities invest in infrastructure to navigate new markets. Xochitl forged additional bipartisan solutions on the House Armed Services Committee and as chairwoman of the Oversight, Management, and Accountability subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee. 

The granddaughter of farmworkers, Xochitl Torres Small grew up in the borderlands of New Mexico. After college, she worked as a field organizer in colonias in southern New Mexico. She continued serving rural New Mexico as a field representative for Senator Tom Udall, where she collaborated with local grassroots leaders, business owners, elected officials, and regional and state economic development officials. Torres Small studied water law and worked closely with rural water utilities. Throughout her career, Xochitl has employed her experience working in vulnerable, rural communities to achieve lasting investments that combat persistent poverty. Xochitl has a law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law, an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and an international baccalaureate from Waterford Kamhlaba United World College. 

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Joaquin Altoro has joined USDA Rural Development as the Administrator for the Rural Housing Service.

For nearly three decades, Altoro has been dedicated to understanding the heart and passion of minority communities and applying his experience and wisdom to provide financing opportunities that spark economic development. Recently, he served as CEO and Executive Director for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). As CEO, Altoro strategically positioned WHEDA to adopt a holistic approach to leverage affordable housing to grow economic prosperity for historically marginalized communities. Under his guidance, WHEDA was able to enhance its 2021-2022 housing tax credit Qualified Action Plan, encouraging diversity among participating developers and providing greater consideration of the unique needs of rural communities. Prior to WHEDA, he served as Town Bank’s Vice President of Commercial Banking. Altoro is a graduate of Cardinal Stritch University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and is a graduate of the African American Leadership Program.

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The Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) is a competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training, and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas that have fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenues.

Rural public entities are eligible to apply, including but not limited to: towns/local government, state agencies, authorities, nonprofit corporations, institutions of higher education, federally-recognized Tribes, and rural cooperatives (if organized as a private nonprofit corporation). 
 
RBDG funds must be used for projects that benefit rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more.

Applications must be submitted to Rural Development by
February 28, 2022, 4:30 p.m. local time.

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Rural Development has begun accepting applications for up to $1.15 billion in loans and grants to help people in rural areas access high-speed internet through the ReConnect Program. Eligible applicants are state, local or territory governments; corporations; Native American Tribes; limited liability companies and cooperative organizations.

This funding is available for projects that serve rural areas where at least 90 percent of the households lack broadband service at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) (download) and 20 Mbps (upload). USDA will give funding priority to projects that will serve people in low-density rural areas and areas lacking internet access services at speeds of at least 25 Mbps (download) and 3 Mbps (upload).

Applications can be submitted through the on-line application portal until 11:59 a.m. Eastern on February 22, 2022.

Additional ReConnect funding will be made available through the recently enacted Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides another nearly $2 billion in additional funding. USDA anticipates issuing a new Notice of Funding Opportunity to make the additional funds available in 2022.

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USDA is making the grants available under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Targeted Small Grants Program. Through this program, USDA is partnering with the Reinvestment Fund to administer the funding. Qualified grantees include grocery stores and food distributors that are working to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas. HFFI provides capacity building and financial resources to eligible healthy food retail projects to overcome the higher costs and initial barriers to entry in underserved areas. At least $4 million is available for innovative food retail and food system enterprises that seek to improve access to healthy food in underserved areas. Grant awards will range from $20,000 to $200,000. 

To apply, applicants must submit a letter of interest by Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. If invited to apply, applicants must submit a full application. Additional information on how to apply is available at www.investinginfood.com.

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