DAVIS, Calif. Sept. 11, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development California State Director Maria Gallegos Herrera today announced the availability of grants to help plan for the restoration of essential community facilities that were damaged by wildfires and winter storm flooding in 2022. The facilities must be located in eligible rural areas and presidentially declared disaster areas.
“Unexpected disasters take an enormous toll on families and communities,” Gallegos Herrera said. “The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are offering this additional help so rural Californians impacted by devastating wildfires and winter storms have the resources they need to rebuild and recover.”
Eligible community facilities projects must be located in areas affected by the California Coastal, Fairview, Mill, Mosquito, and Oak fires, or winter storms of 2022.
USDA is making $2.5 million in grants available through the Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training (CF TAT) Disaster Repair Grant Program, which provides technical assistance and training with respect to essential community facilities programs. Eligible applicants include public bodies, federally recognized Indian Tribes and nonprofits.
Funds may be used to:
- Assist communities in identifying and planning for community facility needs,
- Identify resources to finance community facility needs,
- Prepare reports, surveys, and applications.
The communities must be located in presidentially declared disaster areas in California.
Applications for Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Disaster Repair Grants will be accepted until November 29, 2023. The maximum award amount is $50,000 for ultimate recipients and $250,000 for technical assistance providers.
For more information, visit page 60176 of the August 31, 2023 Federal Register, contact Christina Swegles, Community Facilities State Office Specialist, at Christina.Swegles@usda.gov, or (760) 843-6882 ext. 124, or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ca.
Additional resources to support rural communities seeking disaster assistance are available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/rural-development-disaster-assistance.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/ca. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.