They say when life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade. 2019 took its toll on Iowa in one way or another. The one bright spot through all this was the U.S. Congress approving disaster relief for the state. USDA Rural Development in Iowa has the funds available to help fund improvement projects, and they are ready to hand them out to qualifying projects.
Audio: Full Interview with USDA Rural Development State Director Grant Menke
Grant Menke is the USDA Rural Development Director for the State of Iowa. He tells us about the funding available through the Community Facilities Program.
Eighty-seven of Iowa?s ninety-nine counties qualify to submit grant requests. When it comes to what projects would qualify for grant support, Menke runs down the gauntlet of the projects that some of the money could be and has already been used for.
The twelve counties which do not are: Benton, Black Hawk, Cedar, Clarke, Dubuque, Grundy, Jefferson, Johnson, Linn, Poweshiek, Taylor, and Washington.
Unlike some grant programs, there is no deadline to submit requests for funding. The funding is available on a first-come-first-served basis until the funds are exhausted.
For more information, reach out to the USDA Rural Development Office by calling (515) 284-4663, by visiting their website, or by visiting one of their eleven satellite offices around the state.
