USDA Rural Development
USDA Office of Rural Development (RD) is an agency with the United States Department of Agriculture which runs programs intended to improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.[1]
Rural Development has an $86 billion loan portfolio, and administers nearly $16 billion in program loans, loan guarantees, and grants through their programs. For various reasons, some of this funding currently goes to urban areas to help develop and redevelop suburbs and resort cities.[2]
History
The Rural Development Administration (RDA) was a USDA agency established by the 1990 farm bill (P.L. 101-624, Sec. 2302), amending the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.), to administer FmHA community and business programs and other USDA rural development programs. RDA was superseded by the Office of Rural Development following the 1994 reorganization of USDA authorized by P.L. 103-354.
On October 13, 1994, the Department of Agriculture was reorganized under the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act of 1994 and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994. Under that act, USDA Rural Development was created to administer the former Farmers Home Administration's (FmHA) non-farm financial programs for rural housing, community facilities, water and waste disposal, and rural businesses. The former Rural Electrification Administration's (REA) utility programs were also consolidated within Rural Development.
Operating units
- Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS)
- Rural Housing Service (RHS)
- Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
References
- ↑ USDA Rural Development: Mission & History Retrieved on February 12, 2015
- ↑ Gaul, Gilbert M. and Cohen, Sarah (April 6, 2007). "Rural Aid Goes to Urban Areas: USDA Development Program Helps Suburbs, Resort Cities". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
