$10 Billion in New Rural Infrastructure Funds
USDA and CoBank, a national cooperative bank dedicated to rural community needs and part of the Farm Credit System, have just announced a new funding partnership. The partnership will make $10 billion in loans available to rural communities for a wide range of infrastructure improvements — including water and wastewater treatment projects. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack commented that coupling USDA’s knowledge of rural infrastructure needs with CoBank’s ability to provide capital creates an ideal and logical partnership. Announced on July 24th, the new program is being called the US Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund and is expected to help connect private investors with rural infrastructure projects. Additional details are not yet available but should be posted soon on the Rural Development page of the USDA website at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/.