FARGO, N.D. Dec. 20, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director Erin Oban today announced $150,000 in total grants awarded to three organizations to facilitate the repair and rehabilitate of homes owned and occupied in rural North Dakota communities.
“Accessing safe, affordable, accessible housing is a challenge in North Dakota, especially in our state’s rural communities,” said Oban. “The Biden Administration has prioritized and is making record investments in rural people and places to ensure everyone in this country, regardless of zip code, has the opportunity to succeed. These investments help to get and keep people in their homes with their loved ones safer and longer, improving their quality of life and strengthening our rural communities.”
North Dakota awards include:
- North Central Planning Council will use a $50,000 grant to replace roofs and windows for two multifamily housing buildings, in the city of Maddock, North Dakota. This project will improve the living conditions in 11 units for low and very low-income families.
- Rebuilding Together Fargo-Moorhead will use a $50,000 grant to provide funding to approximately seven single-family occupied homes in Cass and Traill Counties. The grant can help to repair or replace windows, furnaces, Americans with Disabilities Act modifications, and other energy-saving updates.
- Red River Regional Council will use a $50,000 grant to provide home repairs to approximately eight single-family occupied homes in Nelson County. This project will help to repair or place windows, furnaces, Americans with Disability Act modifications, and other parts of the home.
Background: Housing Preservation Grants
The Housing Preservation Grants Program provides grants to sponsoring organizations for the repair or rehabilitation of housing owned or occupied by low and very-low-income rural citizens. Most State and local government entities, nonprofit organizations, and Federally Recognized Tribes are eligible to apply for this program. The housing must be located in a rural area or town with 20,000 or less people or located on Federally Recognized Tribal lands.
New Web Resources for Rural Communities
USDA Rural Development today also unveiled two new web resources that underscore the agency’s mission to ensure all people have equitable access to federal programs.
A new history webpage traces USDA Rural Development’s evolution from the Great Depression and New Deal to the present, highlighting the many ways the agency supports efforts to create prosperity in rural communities.
A new feature on Rural.gov makes it easier to find these federal resources in one place. The Find Programs and Opportunities tool includes hundreds of millions of dollars in financing and technical assistance opportunities that are easy to search, filter and find. This information will help people in rural areas access funding for a variety of business, health care, housing, community, and economic development needs.
Under the leadership of 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. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is 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, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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