Happy Anniversary to Cohort II of Rural Partners Network

Message from the Deputy Under Secretary, Farah Ahmad

Rural Investment Tour, RD $2 billion in assistance to RPN communities During the past two weeks, President Biden and leaders from the Administration visited rural communities across the country that are benefitting from the President’s agenda to build an economy that works for everyone, including the hardworking families in rural and Tribal communities. This Investing in Rural America Event Series highlighted investments the Administration has made to grow the economy from the bottom-up and middle-out and to create opportunity for local producers, families and communities. During the Event Series, USDA was proud to announce $2 billion across 99 economic development projects in Rural Partners Network (RPN) communities in nine states and Puerto Rico – funding that will create jobs and build infrastructure as well as increase access to quality health care, affordable housing, and clean water and energy. When rural communities have equitable access to resources, they can build a better future. Congratulations to RPN on this achievement and its efforts to continue to transform the way the federal government partners with rural communities! Recently, I was excited to join our talented RD team and partners in the states of Washington and Oregon to announce that Rural Development is partnering with Rural Prosperity Partners on the first-ever Rural Broadband Technical Assistance program in Oregon. This program will use the funding to provide communities and broadband providers throughout rural Oregon with the resources they need to capitalize on historic broadband investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I want to thank the RD team and all our partners for all you do to help communities work together to come up with strategies that are beneficial for entire regions. Thank you for making sure communities and individual partners aren’t going it alone, but instead utilizing each others’ strengths. I look forward to working with you to help build brighter futures in rural and Tribal communities.

Message from the Rural Partners Network Executive Director

By Lee A. Jones, Executive Director for Rural Partners Network As we acknowledge the one-year anniversary of the launch of Cohort II of the Rural Partners Network, I am also reminded we are in a season of giving thanks. I am thankful for the rural communities we serve and the faith these communities have exhibited in RPN to help their communities be more economically competitive. I am thankful for federal partners that continue to contribute to this “new way of doing business” exhibiting the federal government’s commitment to rural America. I am thankful that partners outside the government understand that when rural communities can thrive, all of America will thrive. In many ways, the RPN Team has been building the proverbial car while we drive. Occasionally, we take a rest stop to refuel the vehicle while we add new components. We take an honest assessment of where we are and willingly acknowledge that some RPN communities are seeing more success than others. While it is reasonable to self-assess shortcomings, it is not okay to NOT address those shortcomings. The communities partnering with, and trusting in RPN expect and deserve action. THAT is the RPN commitment.

Message from the Lead in Engagement, Christine Sorensen

As we look back on the successes accomplished in the last year after the expansion of the Rural Partners Network (RPN) to 21 communities in five more states and Puerto Rico, we have much to celebrate.  We’ve seen significant growth in our all-of government approach to partner with rural people to access resources and funding to create local jobs, build infrastructure, and support long-term economic stability.    Over the last six months, RPN staff have hosted over 1200 engagements, met and collaborated with over 2400 federal, state, and local government staff, civic and business organizations, nonprofits, service providers, development agencies and others to create new opportunities and build on the diversity of a region’s population and perspectives. Additionally, RPN’s all-of-government strategy is now supported by more than 24 federal agencies and commissions, working closely with each other, rural communities, and existing programs and policies   The RPN Engagement Team has had a busy year hosting national federal partner presentations in the form of webinars for the rural community network members. Partners such as the Appalachian Regional Commission, U. S Department of Treasury, U. S. Department of Energy, U. S. Department of Transportation, and Health and Human Services, Administration of Children and Families highlighted specific services and new programs.  Please let the team know, by emailing RuralPartnersNetwork@usda.gov,  if you have a special request or need for additional webinars as we schedule for this next year!

Message from the Lead Management and Program Analyst, Michelle Moore

RPN’s Operations and Administration Team is happy to note that RPN  is 93% staffed! Our fiscal year 2023 focus was hiring staff in the States  to support RPN’s Community Networks. RPN’s most recent hire, Jerry Exterovich, (who you will learn more about below), brings the total number of RPN field staff to 36. With the recent addition of three permanent hires, RPN’s National Office team is now fully staffed with seven members. One of RPN’s new National Office hires is Jaclyn Leyva. Jaclyn will focus on Communications to amplify the great activities taking place in RPN’s Community Networks. Our Operations/ Admin team also manages RPN’s contracts. We finished out this fiscal year facilitating the award of $460,000 from RD’s Under Secretary’s Office to Rural LISC. Rural LISC will use the funds to expand their support and technical assistance to four additional RPN States as well as other selected communities.

MEET THE TEAM

Meet USDA staff hired to work full time with RPN Community Networks to advance local projects.

Jerry Exterovich   Jerry joined the Wisconsin RPN team October 2023. He serves as a Rural Community Liaison for the state of Wisconsin for the Adams County Visionary Community Network. He was raised in the River Valley Community of Prairie Du Sac, a lifelong resident of South-Central Wisconsin, currently resides on the Baraboo Range where he enjoys cycling and hiking with his family, friends, and Corgis

Rural Connections Blog

Meet the East Region Community Network! The Puerto Rico Eastern Region is popular by its stunning natural resources such as beaches, rivers, and the rainforest. The Eastern Region in Puerto Rico has the only tropical rainforest in the national forest system. To learn more, click here!

Rural Partners Network Works with Local Partners to Establish Meat Processing Certification Program In New Mexico, the Doña Ana Community Network kicked off their work with the Rural Partners Network by hosting a community meeting in December 2022 to discuss investment and technical assistance opportunities. To learn more, click here!

RPN Partners with Community to Lead Resiliency Efforts in Guanica, Puerto Rico By January 2020, Guánica, Puerto Rico, suffered the ravage of several earthquakes that caused economic and housing instability and marked the lives of residents. To learn more, click here!

Revitalizing Rural Southern West Virginia with RPN Boone County sits in the heart of the Southern Coalfields of West Virginia. Once full of thriving communities due to the booming coal industry, the county government is now grappling with a downturn in the industry. To learn more, click here!

Rural Partners Network in Action

The Rural Partners Network Celebrates additional Alaska Community Network Host

USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary, Farah Ahmad, visited Alaska USDA Rural Development leadership and rural communities in October.  As part of the trip, Farah announced a $35 million USDA RD Reconnect grant award to the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) to install affordable, reliable high-speed fiber broadband in the three underserved TCC village communities of Venetie, Chalkyitsik, and Circle (AK).   In conjunction with the announcement, the Deputy Under Secretary joined USDA RD State Director Julia Hnilicka for a meeting with TCC staff to discuss RPN and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed with TCC as hosts for the Interior Region Community Network for Alaska. The trip culminated in Sitka, Alaska where USDA RD leadership attended the Southeast Conference annual meeting. 

Upcoming/Previous Trainings/Webinars

The RPN Engagement Team has had a busy year hosting federal partner presentations in the form of webinars for the rural community network members. Partners such as the Appalachian Regional Commission, US Treasury, U. S. Department of Energy, U. S. Dept of Transportation, and Health and Human Services, Administration of Children and Families highlighted specific services and new programs.  Please let the team know, by emailing RuralPartnersNetwork@usda.gov,  if you have a special request or need for additional webinars as we schedule for this next year!

2023 Rural LISC Seminar, Dec. 11-13th in Coachella Valley, CA and Virtually!

Rural LISC’s annual seminar provides rural practitioners the opportunity to gather and share challenges, opportunities and emerging trends in the field. It features workshops and plenaries, conversations with nationally recognized community development leaders and a wealth of networking opportunities. Monday of the seminar provides programming specific to RPN communities.  More information and how to register for free to join virtually is found here: https://2023ruralliscseminar.vfairs.com/en

Recorded: USDA Interagency Working Group Webinars on Cooperative Development- The Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development, spearheaded by USDA Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative Service, held several virtual committee meetings designed to share information on cooperative conversions, the environment, the care economy, and the food supply chain.

Recorded: Cooperatives are Everywhere! Take Ownership- Cooperative Network provides an overview of how coops get started, who uses them and the benefits of being a member of a cooperative.

Recorded: USDA Presents: Steps in Starting a Cooperative- New cooperative businesses can be started by eventual member-owners or be incubated by a development group. Existing businesses can be converted to member-ownership. Regardless of who organizes a co-op, this webinar identifies the key steps in the development process.

RPN Community Network Funding Received

McConnell Helps Secure Over $3 Million in Federal Funding to Overhaul Hickman-Fulton County Riverport:  Senator McConnell advocated for this federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2023 Government Funding Bill and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  To learn more on this funding project, click here!

Members of the Jackson Purchase Distillery team accept a plaque from USDA Rural Development Kentucky State Director Tom Carew to commemorate the $21.6 million guaranteed loan slated to help the Hickman contract bourbon distiller expand. The loan is a part of more than $22 million in investments in western Kentucky and Tennessee communities announced Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Fulton. To learn more on this investment, click here!

$2 billion in Investments to Partner with Rural Communities to Create Jobs and Support Rural-led Economic Development: USDA is announcing $2 billion across 99 economic development projects in Rural Partners Network (RPN) communities in nine states and Puerto Rico – funding that will create jobs and build infrastructure as well as increase access to quality health care, affordable housing, and clean water and energy. RPN is transforming the way the federal government partners with rural communities by putting federal employees on the ground to help rural communities access federal resources.  Read more: Click here

Funding Opportunities

The Rural Partners Network (RPN) launched a new feature available on Rural.gov to find Programs and Opportunities supporting a broad range of rural community and economic development activities. The Find Programs and Opportunities feature includes hundreds of millions of dollars in financing and technical assistance opportunities that are easy to search, filter and find. The information will help people in rural areas access funding for a variety of business, health care, housing, community, and economic development needs.” Please click here for more information!

Visit RURAL.gov to find a more comprehensive list of programs to help your rural community.

Learning

Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development:  For more information, click here!

The Local and Regional Food Systems Resilience Playbook: For more information, click here!

Other Agency Funding

Housing

Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP)

This SHOP NOFO announces the availability of $ 12,500,000 in FY2022 SHOP Grant funds to be awarded to national and regional non-profit organizations and consortia to facilitate and encourage innovative homeownership opportunities on a national, geographically diverse basis through the provision of self-help homeownership housing programs. For more information on SHOP, click here!

Ross (Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency) Service Coordinator Program- FY2023- NOFO

The Resident Opportunity and Self Sufficiency Service Coordinator (ROSS-SC) program is designed to assist residents of Public and Indian Housing make progress towards economic and housing self-sufficiency by removing the educational, professional and health barriers they face.  Self-sufficiency is defined as an individual’s ability to support their household by maintaining financial, housing, and personal/family stability.  To achieve self-sufficiency, an individual moves along a continuum towards economic independence and stability; such movement is facilitated by the achievement of individual educational, professional, and health-related goals. For more information on ROSS, click here!

Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities (Capital Advance)

The Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program aims to expand the supply of integrated affordable housing by providing Capital Advance funding for the development of permanent supportive rental housing for very-low-income persons with disabilities who are 18 years of age or older and less than 62 years of age at entry. The program also provides project rental subsidies in the form of a Project Rental Assistance Contract (“PRAC”) to maintain ongoing affordability over at least the next forty years. For more information on Section 811, click here!

Section 811 Project Rental Assistance for Persons with Disabilities

The primary purpose of the Section 811 PRA Program is to identify, stimulate, and support innovative state-level strategies that will transform and increase housing for extremely low-income persons with disabilities while also making available appropriate support and services. HUD is seeking to support collaborations between State Housing and Health and Human Service/Medicaid Agencies that have resulted or will result in increased access to 2 of 55 affordable permanent supportive housing units – new and existing– with access to appropriate services.  For more information on Section 811, click here!

Fair Housing Initiative Program

Eligible applicants under the Continued Development Component (CDC) are Qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organizations (QFHOs), Fair Housing Enforcement Organizations (FHOs), and other private nonprofit organizations seeking to build their capacity to conduct fair housing enforcement activities. For more information on the Fair Housing Initiative Program, click here!

Infrastructure

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program (EECLP) provides loans to finance energy efficiency and conservation projects for commercial, industrial, and residential consumers. With the EECLP, eligible utilities, including existing Rural Utilities Service borrowers can borrow money tied to Treasury rates of interest and re-lend the money to develop new and diverse energy service products within their service territories.  For more information on the program, click here!

Health

Let’s celebrate National Rural Health Day, Thursday, November 16, 2023.

National Rural Health Day is an opportunity to celebrate the “Power of Rural” and highlight the positive efforts of health care providers, communities, and organizations working to improve health in rural America. Check out events happening throughout the week, click here!

Rural Health Network Development Planning Program

The purpose the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (“Network Planning Program”) is to plan and develop integrated health care networks that collaborate to address the following legislative aims: (i) achieve efficiencies; (ii) expand access to and improve the quality of basic health care services and health outcomes; and (iii) strengthen the rural health care system. For more information on this opportunity, click here!

CDC Community Health Worker Services for HIV in Rural Communities

Persons with HIV (PWH) living in rural communities may have limited access to HIV care providers and may need to travel long distances to visit an experienced HIV care provider. Additionally, Black and Hispanic/Latino PWH may experience structural barriers such as racism and lack of access to language translation services that may make it challenging to adhere to routine HIV care and treatment services. These barriers can be exacerbated in rural communities.  For more information on this opportunity, click here!

Community and Economic Development

Thriving Communities Program

TCP provides technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to teams of community partners that may lack the staffing or technical expertise to scope, fund, and develop infrastructure projects that advance broader community goals.  For more information on this opportunity, click here!

Tribal Communities

In honor of USDA’s Native American Heritage Month, we would like to spotlight USDA Launch farmers.gov Tribal Partnership Web page- Partnerships with Tribal Nations

USDA has launched a farmers.gov/tribal web page designed to connect Tribal Nation leaders, land managers, agricultural producers and citizens with USDA farm production and conservation programs and services. The web page, developed as part of USDA’s commitment to its federal trust relationship with Tribal Nations, showcases opportunities for USDA program and services, land access, indigenous representation, conservation partnerships, and support for tribal food sovereignty. For more information about USDA support and partnerships with Tribal Nations, click here!

Contact Us

Please visit RURAL.gov to learn more about the Rural Partners Network.

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