USDA Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program

OneRDGuarantee@usda.gov

USDA Rural Development State Offices

The Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program guarantees loans from eligible private lenders to help build essential community facilities in rural areas.

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and/or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment, and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Healthcare facilities: hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities
• Public facilities: town halls, courthouses, airport hangers, or street improvements
• Community support services: child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds, or transitional housing
• Public safety services: fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles, or equipment
• Utility services: telemedicine or distance learning equipment
• Local food systems: community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs, or greenhouses
• Educational services museums, libraries, or private schools

Private lenders may apply for a loan guarantee on loans made to an eligible borrower that is unable to obtain the needed commercial credit on reasonable terms without the guarantee.

Eligible borrowers include:

• Public bodies
• Community-based nonprofit corporations
• Federally recognized tribes
• Tribes on federal and state reservations

Eligible areas are rural areas with populations of 50,000 residents or less.

Loan amounts vary, with a maximum amount of $100,000,000. USDA will guarantee 80% of eligible loans.

Lenders may visit the streamlined OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative website for detailed application information. Non-regulated lenders apply for approval to participate through a single certification process that is valid for 5 years. To begin the process, email a cover letter to onerdlenderapproval@usda.gov.

Borrowers may begin the application process by contacting the appropriate USDA Rural Development state office to discuss the project. The state office will discuss funding options and refer eligible applicants to approved guaranteed loan lenders or to additional USDA Community Facilities loan and grant programs.

The state office will also work with eligible lenders to get them on the approved lender list.