U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Kate Bolz today highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s first-year accomplishments to help ensure that rural residents and businesses have equitable access to housing, health care, economic development and other essential services.
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA Rural Development has worked hand-in-hand with rural communities in Nebraska to promote climate smart agriculture, expand broadband, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bolz said. “In 2021 over $218 million dollars has been invested by USDA Rural Development in solutions for rural Nebraskans.”
USDA is focused on several different areas of opportunity: community facilities, business programs, telecommunications, single-family housing, and multi-family housing. Each of these areas of opportunity offer programs that provide grants and loans to rural individuals, municipalities, residents, businesses, and tribal nations to build renewable energy capabilities, improve facilities, expand telecommunications, support their communities, improve healthcare, and combat climate change respectively.
In the first year of the Biden-Harris Administration, Nebraskans received more than $218 million from USDA Rural Development including: $139 million for single-family housing, $8 million for multi-family housing, $35 million for community facilities, $12.6 million for water and environmental programs, $23 million for business programs, $517k for improved telecommunications networks.
Nebraska received more than $1 million to combat climate change through the Rural Energy for America Program. Thirty-three Nebraska farms, businesses, or individuals were awarded grants and loans to fund projects across the state. This was part of the total $687 million invested nationwide. These and other investments in 2021 have benefitted hundreds of thousands of rural people in every state and U.S. territory.
In the coming year, USDA will continue to strategically focus on improving life for Nebraskans by increasing outreach and communication with rural communities. These efforts will include transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices.
“USDA touches the lives of Nebraskans each day in many positive ways. We work to put rural people at the heart of solutions for our business, communities, and families. We encourage Nebraskans to connect with us – when rural communities thrive, all of America thrives,” added Bolz.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/ne.
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