USDA Highlights FY2022 Accomplishments in Expanding Access to Jobs, Business Opportunities, Education, Health Care and Housing in Rural West Virginia
MORGANTOWN, Jan. 25, 2023 -- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development West Virginia State Director Ryan Thorn today highlighted the agency’s Fiscal Year 2022 accomplishments to help ensure that rural residents and businesses in West Virginia have equitable access to housing, health care, economic development, and other essential services.
“I’m really proud of the investments we made and the partnerships we formed last year to help improve the quality of life for rural West Virginians,” Thorn said. “At USDA Rural Development we are advocates for, investors in, and partners to rural West Virginia communities and these investments highlight that commitment.”
Rural Development awarded more than $393 million in loans, grants, and loan guarantees in Fiscal Year 2022 for residents and businesses in rural West Virginia. This includes $255.6 million for the purchase of homes by very-low-income individuals and families living in persistent poverty areas, $14.1 million to improve community facilities and access to essential services, and $11 million to enhance businesses and entrepreneurs in rural West Virginia communities.
USDA awarded $138 million in loans and grants through 459 projects to help support rural communities and to invest in enhancing quality of life projects. This included $72 million to upgrade aging and failing water infrastructure for the City of Lewisburg and the Greenbrier County Public Service District, which will ensure thousands of rural people in Greenbrier County have clean drinking water and sanitary wastewater systems for years to come.
Also in 2022, USDA expanded the Rural Partners Network (RPN) to 20 historically underserved counties in central and southern West Virginia. RPN includes an-all -of government strategy supported by more than 20 federal agencies and commissions, working closely together with each other, rural communities, and existing programs and policies. Community networks within these counties will receive on-the-ground support from full-time federal staff members assigned to provide technical assistance tailored to the community’s unique needs and objectives. These federal staff members will help rural communities navigate federal programs, build relationships, and identify community-driven solutions, and develop successful applications for funding.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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