The Community Facilities Technical Assistance Disaster Relief Program can assist small and under-resourced rural communities in navigating the administrative and technical burdens of federal funding – free of charge. Get help with your community's recovery and development needs!
What This Program Funds
Through a grant from USDA Rural Development, RCAP Solutions can assist eligible communities with loan and grant applications in locations where a calendar year 2022 federally declared disaster occurred. In 2022, Vermont had one qualified declaration – a severe storm and flooding in late December (DR-4695). Projects in the following counties are eligible for this assistance: Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, and Washington.
Assistance can be provided for
- Pre-development planning
- Budget development
- Application assistance
- Public planning meetings
How Your Community Applies
For information or assistance, contact Madison Wellman via mwellman@rcapsolutions.org or (774) 239-9783.
What is the USDA's Community Facilities Program?
Community Facilities (CF) is a flexible funding program from USDA’s Office of Rural Development. The program provides grants and low-interest loans to communities with a population of under 20,000 residents for the purchase, construction, or improvement of essential community facilities.
Grant funds are provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. If your rural community needs funding for any of the following (but not limited to) projects, then this program may be for you!
- Public Safety Services – Fire departments, police stations, prisons, emergency response vehicles, or public works vehicles/equipment
- Utility Services – Telemedicine or distance learning equipment
- Healthcare Facilities – Hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities
- Public Facilities – Town halls, town garages, public works facilities, courthouses, airport hangars, or street improvements
- Community Support Services – Childcare centers, community centers, fairgrounds, or transitional housing
- Budget Development – Museums, libraries, or public schools
- Educational Services – Community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs, or greenhouses
Find Grant Writing or Grant/Project Management Help for Other Programs
VLCT published a resource, Increasing Municipal Capacity for Grants, that offers ideas for assistance with grant writing and grant management. Many of the capacity builders also provide project management services. Hiring experienced project management assistance can increase the speed of project development and help avoid cost, permitting, and other development surprises.