Link: http://www.usda.gov/2005/09/0392.xml Release No. 0392.05 Ed Loyd (202) 720-4623 Wayne Maloney (202) 690-0498 CONNER ANNOUNCES OVER $1.7 MILLION IN GRANTS AND LOANS FOR WATER SYSTEMS, HOUSING IMPROVEMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION IN OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. 22, 2005- Agriculture Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner today announced over $1.7 million in funding for a wide range of projects for Oklahoma. Among the awards was a grant of nearly $500,000 to the Oklahoma-based National Rural Water Association and a loan and grant totaling over $660,000 to construct a new water system in Ellis County. "These funds will be used to assist many rural communities to replace water system equipment, develop construction plans and extend their systems," said Conner. "This grant is especially timely given all that National Water Association members are doing to help restore water systems in the Gulf Region damaged by Hurricane Katrina." Conner noted that the Bush Administration is committed to improving community water systems and that as of 2002 (the most recent year information is available) 94 percent of all Americans were served by community water systems. Conner is in Oklahoma to host the latest in a series of Farm Bill Forums in which members of the public are invited to express their views about farm and rural policy, in preparation for the development of the next farm bill in 2007. Ellis County, Okla., will receive funding to install a new water system. The county will obtain a grant of $479,225 and a loan of $183,000 to construct a distribution system which includes new underground water lines, a storage tank and two wells. It will replace shallow, individual wells which provide water that is of poor quality and quantity. In addition, an award of $100,000 in Community Facilities grant funds will go to the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. Those funds will be used to rehabilitate two historic buildings and establish an academy to provide higher education and trade training courses. The Texas County Housing Authority in the Oklahoma panhandle will receive an award of nearly $300,000 in a Mutual Self Help Housing Program grant . Under that program, families work together under the direction of a contractor to build their homes from the ground up. The process, which usually takes a year, enables families with limited incomes to move from rental housing into homes of their own. Families are not able to move into their homes until all are finished. Their labor becomes their "sweat equity." Over the two year life of the grant, about 20 new homes will be constructed. Conner also announced the award of six USDA housing preservation grants totaling almost $200,000. The funds will be used to rehabilitate 31 single family dwellings. Ten of the homes will be rehabilitated by the Cherokee Nation. USDA Rural Development's mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in rural communities. As a venture capital entity, Rural Development has invested over $54 billion since the beginning of the Bush Administration to provide equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. Over one million jobs have been created or saved through these investments. 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. A complete list of the loans and grants announced today is attached. # USDA News oc.news@xxxxxxxx 202 720-4623 ---------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to oc.news@xxxxxxxx and reference your email address.
