USDA ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT RURAL HOME HEALTH CARE COOPERATIVES EFFORTS

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2003 - Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced the availability of $1 million in rural development community development initiative grant funds to provide pre-development and revolving loan grants to support the establishment and operation of home health care cooperatives.

"Creating a strong network of rural health care services is critical to improving the quality of life of families living in rural areas," said Veneman. "These grants will support community-based efforts to establish home-based health care cooperatives that will help meet local health care needs."

The USDA Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) cooperative home-based health care demonstration program will help community organizations establish and operate home-based health care cooperatives.

Pre-development grants to assist cooperatives with providing outreach to home-based health care providers, assessing local-level human service provider needs and assisting with the organizing and implementation of a successful cooperative structure are available to qualified public bodies or nonprofit-based community development organizations. Revolving loan grants to assist in the funding and administering of a revolving loan program to provide start-up and operating funds to newly created home-based health care cooperatives are available to qualified public or nonprofit intermediary organizations (including tribal) proposing to carry out a program of financial and technical assistance.

Recipients are required to obtain matching funds, doubling the value of the USDA grants. Eligible applicants must be located in rural areas with populations of 50,000 or less. Funding of selected applicants will be contingent upon meeting the conditions of the grant agreement.

The deadline for submission of grant applications is Feb. 13, 2004. Detailed information about grant requirements and information on how to apply is available in the Federal Register or by visiting USDA Rural Development's website at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/.

USDA Rural Development's mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. As a venture capital entity, Rural Development provides equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.

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