Rural Communities

Indiantown Visioning Day

Visioning Day in Indiantown attendees USDA Joe Mueller at left, HUD Jacksonville Field Office Director Alesia Scott-Ford, USDA State Director Richard Machek, and far right HUD Miami Acting Field Office Director Thomacina Brown.

Almost 6,000 people live in Indiantown, a six square-mile unincorporated municipality located in Martin County. Originally established by the Seminole as a trading post, at one time during the 20th Century between the 1920s and the 1960s it was a busy area with a train stop from Seaboard Air Lone Railway. Its fate changed in the seventies when the train stop was removed from the itinerary.

These days, the rural community is struggling. While 20% of Floridians have income below poverty level, 52% of the population in Indiantown is enduring it.

To improve the quality of life of this community, a concerted approach is now within reach. As part of a renewed strategy to more closely partner with the USDA Rural Development's Florida Office, HUD Field Office Directors in Florida based in Miami and Jacksonville participated earlier this year in the Martin County "Indiantown Visioning Day." Hosted by officials from the USDA and local stakeholders, the dialogue regarding Indiantown's future was attended by 65 local government officials, business partners and residents. It began with a bus tour of local business areas, the new Boys & Girls Club, new housing development within walking distance of the Club, improved parks, and agricultural re-purposing initiatives. The visit was followed by a town hall discussion involving all parties.

The increased collaboration started last year, when HUD officials met with USDA/Rural Development's State Director to foster collaboration to better align our efforts, streamline initiatives and, ultimately, make us more effective for the people we serve. The USDA has many programs that Indiantown and rural Martin County can take advantage and will target efforts to improve infrastructure and to assist new and expanding businesses.

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