Tahlequah area nonprofit wins USDA loan

The Tahlequah branch of Habitat for Humanity has won a $642,100 loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), it was announced this week.

The loan will enable Habitat to purchase land for the construction of a new building. Once complete the new building will allow the charity to combine its current home improvement and clothing stores into a single location.

The loan is one of 41 projects being financed through the USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan Program. The funding is designed to help rural small towns, cities and communities provide essential facilities and make infrastructure improvements.

Announcing the awards, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett stated that “Modern community facilities and infrastructure are key drivers of rural prosperity. As partners to municipal, tribal and nonprofit leaders, we are investing in rural communities to ensure quality of life and economic opportunity now and for generations to come.”

The loans will benefit 761,000 residents in 18 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Founded in Americus, Georgia, in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has helped build, renovate and repair more than 1 million homes for more than 5 million people around the world.

Habitat’s presence in Tahlequah dates back to 1989 when President Jimmy Carter visited to create the Northeastern State University Campus Chapter. The city gained its own chapter on August 1st, 1990 and has been building and remodeling homes for the local community ever since.