Federal stimulus grants and loans totaling $1.19 billion will be awarded to build or improve hospitals and other essential facilities in low-income, rural communities, a recent notice in the Federal Register said.

Read the notice here: PDF.

In most cases, applications will be accepted until funds are expended. Funding expires Sept. 30, 2010.

The following U.S. Department of Agriculture entities will be involved in administering the funding: the Rural Utilities Service, the Rural Housing Service and the Rural Business-Cooperative Service.

For more information or to apply, contact the USDA Rural Development State Office in Minnesota at:

Steve Wenzel, state director, (651) 602-7800
Terry Louwagie, community programs director, (651) 602-7810
375 Jackson Building, suite 410W
St. Paul, MN 55101-1853
www.rurdev.usda.gov/mn/index.htm

To obtain contact information for regional USDA Rural Development offices, call or e-mail Gregg Redfield, MHA vice president of finance, at (651) 603-3536.