Rural eNews

May 2021

Funding & Finance Opportunities

HAC has flexible loan capital available to support preservation of USDA Section 515 properties, HUD-subsidized properties, and naturally occurring affordable housing in rural places. Eligible properties are existing affordable or mixed-income rental housing (with or without current income restrictions). Loans can be $50,000-$1.5 million, interest rates can be as low as 4.5%, and terms can be up to 180 months, with longer amortization periods based on project needs. Eligible borrowers include nonprofit organizations, for-profit developers, housing authorities, and tribal entities. For more information, see HAC’s website here.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES is offering funding through The Refugee Career Pathways Program that supports projects that help refugees qualify for licenses and certifications necessary to attain employment and improve self-sufficiency. This program requires a partnership with at least one educational institution (e.g., a university, college, community college, or other institution with expertise in career and technical education) to facilitate career opportunities in ways that supplement, rather than supplant, existing services. Allowable activities include, but are not limited to, case management, training and technical assistance, specialized English language training, and mentoring. Deadline: 6/1/2021. Click here for more information.

THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD'S mission is to improve the quality of life in the communities served by Union Pacific Railroad, primarily in the midwestern and western United States. Through the Community Ties Giving Program, the Foundation provides Local Grants to nonprofit organizations that address the following categories: Safety, Workforce Development, and Community Spaces. Grants generally range from $2,500 to $25,000. Organizations interested in receiving a grant must complete an online survey to determine eligibility from June 1 through July 31, 2021, which is also the last day that eligible organizations may submit an online application. Visit the Foundation's website here for detailed information about the funding priorities and application process.

Veterans

HUD in partnership with the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS announces $9.4 million in grant funding to modify or rehabilitate eligible veterans' primary residences. Eligible applicants for the Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program (VHRMP) are nonprofit organizations that provide nationwide or statewide programs that primarily serve veterans or low-income individuals. Deadline: 7/30/2021. Click here for more details.

Training Events and Conferences

WEBINARS and other Online Events

Please save the dates in May 2021 for a conservation around Culturally Relevant Native American Housing - Context, Issues and Solutions. The purpose of these webinars are to increase the capacity of Native American Housing Developers and other community development corporations who serve Native American communities. Part 1 - Tue 5/4/2021 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM EDT. Webinar #1 - Culturally Relevant Housing Part I - Context & Issues (1.5hrs) This webinar will provide a basic introduction to Native American housing for up to 25 participants. During this facilitated session, participants will be introduced to the context and issues of tribal housing, past present, and future. In addition, this session will begin to contextualize the definition of culturally relevant Native American Housing, terminology, and concepts as it relates to the various regions of the United States. To wrap up this session facilitators will invite feedback from the Rural LISC Native and Native-serving partners on their thoughts on the topic and existing housing issues. Register now : https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ucOCvrjIpE9NMErqduMy3jfPOL1jmhR1_

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Tue 5/18/2021 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM EDT

Webinar #2 – Culturally Relevant Housing – Part II – Solutions (1.5hrs) Tue 5/18/2021 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM ET. What are we seeing in the field of Native American Housing? What are some solutions to the Native American Housing Crisis? Part II of this Culturally Relevant Housing Webinar Series will explore up to two case studies, highlighting exemplary housing practices within Indian Country. This will be followed by an interactive session with webinar participants to better understand what can be done locally within each of these partner regions. Lifting up the question of how might we all play a larger role in doing more to solve the housing crisis in Indian Country? During this session, participants will connect with one another, and explore where Rural LISC may be of assistance. Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsc--sqz8jHt3EhFKvr81ir6rvv4HobZU1

Community land trusts, or CLTs, are unique in providing community control over land and preserving it as lasting community asset. Black farmers and civil rights leaders developed the model over 50 years ago, and today urban and rural communities alike leverage it to meet urgent community needs, providing affordable rental and cooperative housing, permanently affordable homeownership, and quality commercial and community spaces. Are you interested in learning more? Join us for an overview of the CLT model with a focus on permanently affordable homeownership Wednesday, May 5th - 2:00pm EDT. Register here.

PolicyLink, JUST Capital, and FSG are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, May 11, from 4 - 5 pm ET for a conversation on the importance of business leadership in achieving racial equity in our nation. . In our ongoing effort to support the evolution of antiracist, equitable corporations, we are excited to share the findings from our forthcoming report Corporate Insights into the CEO Blueprint for Racial Equity (to be released on May 11). Register here.

Establishing partnerships and assembling a diverse capital stack are key components when financing housing developments, yet financing and technical assistance from the federal government is often overlooked. During the next installment of the CDFA Federal Financing Webinar Series, experts will cover how development finance agencies can leverage financing from the federal government to support housing projects in their communities. Join us on May 11, 2021 at 2:00 PM EDT for Federal Programs for Affordable Housing Investments. Register here.

The USDA Rural Workforce Innovation Network Monthly Virtual Series, topic: “Topic: Entrepreneurship and Workforce Training Opportunities for Tribal Communities,” Wednesday, May 19, 2021, 3:00 PM EDT. In this workshop, representatives from USDA Rural Development and the National Center for American Enterprise Development will share resources and funding opportunities that can help create entrepreneurship and workforce training programs for tribal members. Register to join here.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will host the first-ever Food Loss and Waste Innovation Fair on May 26 (12 - 4 p.m. EDT), to showcase USDA investments and business leadership in reducing food loss and waste throughout the food system. This free, virtual event will feature virtual booths where visitors can learn about state-of-the-art solutions from business, government, and academic innovators. Attendees can text chat with representatives and other guests, watch videos, and download reports and other materials. Register here.

The Novogradac LIHTC Year 15 Webinar reviews the alternative courses of action available to low-income housing tax credit property owners when the 15-year compliance period comes to an end. The webinar will take place May 27, 2021, 1:00-3:00 PM EDT. Click here to register.

June 3, 2021: Register Now to Explore New Rural Ideas at Rural Forward: Exploring Fresh Perspectives, a virtual event hosted by RDI. The day-long convening includes interactive sessions with topics focused on rural leadership development, entrepreneurship, and public policy. Click here to register.

RDI is hosting a series of community conversations related to the impacts of 2020 events in rural communities. Click here to listen to past conversations with topics ranging from remote work to how Oregon policymakers are addressing needs. Learn more here about the upcoming Community Conversation, Seeking Common Ground: Looking Past the Rural-Urban Divide, held in conjunction with our June 3 Rural Forward event.

Save the Date...

SAVE THE DATE: Rural LISC Annual Seminar, in person and online, October 11-14, 2021, Memphis, Tennessee. Watch this space for more information!

Information and Other Resources

Articles, Reports, and Tools

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is increasing food assistance to low-income seniors – a population that has been especially hard-hit by the pandemic – by providing nearly $37 million in additional support to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). States and Tribal nations will receive the new funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act to serve additional seniors, in addition to up to $2.6 million in administrative funds from a previous COVID relief bill. Click here to learn more about this effort.

President Biden announced a paid leave tax credit that will offset the cost for employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide full pay for any time their employees need to receive COVID-19 vaccinations or time needed to recover from vaccine side effects. The Internal Revenue Service released an educational fact sheet for employers with instructions for claiming the credit. Click here to learn more.

The National Housing Conference is promoting the “Not Ok? That’s Ok” campaign provides resources compiled by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) to help homeowners understand their mortgage payment options. The initiative launched in November 2020 and is led by Faith Schwartz of Housing Finance Strategies and a coalition of NHC members and stakeholders, including NeighborWorks America, Quicken Loans, Wells Fargo, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the National Association of REALTORS®, the Housing Policy Council, American Bankers Association and Mr. Cooper. Organizations are encouraged to go to the website to download the promotional toolkit.

The Carsey School of Public Policy has published a new brief, “Bringing Solar Energy to Low- and Moderate-Income Communities.” Drawing on substantial literature related to multiple dimensions of low-income solar finance and interviews with key informants in the field, authors Eric Hangen, Rebecca Regan, and Sarah Boege recommend public investments and policy changes that could help scale the provision of equitable solar finance. Click here to review the brief.

LISC has published its 2020 Annual Report. The theme is Rising to the Challenge—which LISC most certainly did this year, with a record $2B in investments and new programs launched during a tumultuous and emotional time. Check out this link to the report on Facebook.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness has released a new tool that allows users to compare 2019 and 2020 point-in-time counts of people experiencing homelessness. The tool shows changes at the state level and by Continuum of Care in a Tableau dashboard. Users can see the changes in overall homelessness, unsheltered homelessness, chronic homelessness, changes in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness, and variation for families and individuals. Access the tool here.

The Rural Blog reports that Plight of pregnant Native women in Montana is one of the worst cases of poor access to obstetric care in the rural U.S. Native American women in Montana were 20 times more likely than white women in the state to give birth at a hospital without obstetric services, and they had less access to complex obstetric care. So says a study in the Journal of Rural Health, which looks at birth data in the state form 2014 through 2018. It's one of the worst manifestations of an increasing problem in rural America. Read the blog here.

CDC declares racism a serious public health threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated it would be taking specific action to address the issue. Communities of color in counties across the country are disproportionately impacted by a multitude of socioeconomic and public health challenges, which are often rooted in individual, systemic and institutional inequities. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these challenges, revealing racial disparities in health outcomes and access to care in the U.S. Read the report here.

The CDBG-CV Economic Development Quick Guide is a user-friendly tool to help grantees plan and implement economic development activities that help to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the impacts of COVID-19. This resource includes topics such as: National Objective and Overall Benefit; Eligible Activities; CARES Act Requirements and Flexibilities. Additionally, the Quick Guide addresses program design and delivery considerations to help position CDBG-CV funded economic development and small business assistance programs for successful compliance, underwriting and community impact. Access the Guide here.

The Biden-Harris administration has announced the formation of an Interagency Working Group to address worsening drought conditions in the West and support farmers, Tribes, and communities impacted by ongoing water shortages. The Working Group will be co-chaired by the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture to build upon existing resources to help coordinate across the federal government, working in partnership with state, local, and Tribal governments to address the needs of communities suffering from drought-related impacts. The White House released a readout from today’s National Climate Task Force Meeting announcing the new Working Group.

Black- and Hispanic-owned firms were half as likely to be fully approved for financing as White-owned firms. Businesses owned by people of color were more likely than White-owned businesses to report reducing operations or temporarily closing during the pandemic. Ninety-three percent of Asian-owned firms, 86 percent of Black-owned firms, and 85 percent of Hispanic-owned firms reported sales declines due to the pandemic, compared with 79 percent of White-owned firms. These are just three findings of the 2021 Report on Firms Owned by People of Color recently published by the 12 Federal Reserve Banks. The report is the second based on the Federal Reserve Banks’ Small Business Credit Survey, an annual survey of small business owners fielded in September and October of 2020. Get the report here.

Rural Health Policy
This recently updated topic guide provides an overview of the rural health policymaking process, relevant issues, and the roles that different groups play in formulating rural health policy.

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Job Opportunity

NeighborWorks Umpqua Seeking CEO. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES: (“MUST HAVES”):

A successful candidate for the CEO position will possess at minimum a significant number of years of relevant large affordable housing, community development and/or non-profit industry sector experience including but not limited to the following required knowledge, skills, and abilities: Passion for NWU’s mission and deep and abiding commitment to affordable housing and community development as well as providing supporting housing services to the underserved, most vulnerable people in rural communities. Relevant Non-Profit Leadership Experience; dynamic, strategic, visionary, and operationally-focused servant leader possessing successful large group/staff management experience. Affordable Housing, Community and/or Real-Estate Development and related Real Estate/Project Finance experience highly desirable. Reply to:

Tracy McMillan, CEO & Managing Partner, broadviewtalent.com

120 Northwood Road, 2nd Floor | Fairfield, CT 06825

office 203.651.8300 | mobile 484.994.9270

Rural LISC works with 92 partner organizations creating sustainable rural communities across 45 states. Visit our website here and sign up for the Rural LISC RSS feed here. If this email was forwarded to you and you would like to sign up to receive the Rural eNews each month, click here.

Send information on funding opportunities, events, publications, resources, or rural-related issues to sfelzke@lisc.org. Announcements will be published at our discretion based on space and applicability. Please do not copy this document without permission.