Grant Funds Available for Home Based Health Care

December 26, 2003

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced the availability of $1 million in grant funding through the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) Home-Based Health Care Demonstration Program. A Notice of Financial Assistance (NOFA), was published in the December 15, 2003 Federal Register. Applications are due by February 13, 2004. "This is a great opportunity for our smaller communities to be creative in pulling programs and resources together to provide home health care for their constituents," said Gigi Dennis, State Director for USDA Rural Development.

The funding is split into two forms: pre-development grants and revolving loan grants. Pre-development grants cannot exceed $50,000 each and can be made to qualified public bodies or nonprofit organizations to establish a home health care cooperative. Revolving loan grants can be made to qualified nonprofit or public organizations to provide start-up funds and technical assistance to pre-planning grant recipients and home health care cooperatives that are established through this program.

Intermediary recipients for the revolving loan funds will be required to provide matching funds at least equal to the grant funds awarded. Pre-development grants will be linked with a revolving loan grant, to the same community, in order that the full operation of the cooperative can occur. "Applicants are competing for grant funding at the national level. Colorado is always very inventive and should be in the running for these grants," said Dennis.

Completed applications must be received by 4 PM eastern time on February 13, 2004 and should be mailed to Stephen Wetherbee, Rural Housing Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., STOP 0787, Washington, DC 20250-0787. For additional information visit the RCDI website at www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/rcdi/index.htm or contact Stephen Wetherbee at stephen.wetherbee@usda.gov or at 202-720-1503.