On Thursday, March 16 at noon, Jane Asselta, New Jersey State Director for Rural Development at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be the featured speaker in the latest League Lunch and Learn.
Ms. Asselta will discuss opportunities through which New Jersey’s rural communities have access to Federal funds. This diverse suite of USDA Rural Development Programs is available to public entities, non-profits, residents, and businesses. These funds can be invested in many ways:
- Municipal and non-profit real estate acquisition and improvements of essential community facilities such as municipal buildings, community centers, police and fire stations, educational facilities, and other essential facilities needed within a rural community.
- Public entity and non-profit investments in equipment purchases including fire trucks, police or public works vehicles for public safety, and essential services.
- Construction, repairs and equipment for water and waste system improvements serving rural residents.
- Financing to rural residents for the purchase and repair of homes to provide safe, affordable housing and enable rural residents to build wealth.
- Rural economic development thorough business expansion, economic development planning, jobs creation and training plus energy efficiency and renewable energy system investments to generate energy savings.
The federal government defines “rural” in many different ways, and we encourage you to register and participate in the Lunch and Learn to discover what programs your municipality may be eligible to apply for among the USDA Rural Development programs.
Contact: Paul Penna, Senior Legislative Analyst, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.