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RCAC's Network News May 2013
Volume XXXI, Number 2
In this issue
Housing
By Jeremy Raff, RCAC multimedia producer
Beneath tall wooden rafters surrounded by acres of
vines, about 60 Calistoga residents listen intently to a bilingual presentation
on USDA Rural Development’s Mutual Self-Help housing program.
This group and another 100 residents in nearby St.
Helena respond enthusiastically to the program, which offers homeownership,
equity and a low-interest loan in exchange for families’ commitment to build 65
percent of their homes. The self-help program will address the lack of
affordable housing in Napa County.
Read more>>
Loan Fund
In its last two quarters, ending March 31, RCAC lent
more than $9.4 million to rural communities in California, Arizona, Colorado,
Hawaii, New Mexico and Nevada to finance valuable community projects. RCAC
closed 24 loans, which leveraged $33,248,033 of other financing and supported
2,588 individual water and wastewater connections for rural residents; 86
housing units; 16,732 square feet of community facility space; and created or
retained 132 jobs.
Since Oct. 1, 2012, RCAC made 17 environmental
infrastructure and three affordable housing loans; three operating loans to
small businesses and a loan to a medical nonprofit organization.
Read more>>
Environmental
By Deborah Patton, RCAC environmental rural development specialist
Bisbee, Arizona is in southern Arizona about 10
miles from the Mexico border. Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) collaborated
with Great Lakes Rural Community Assistance Partnership (GLRCAP) and conducted
a level-two energy audit for the City of Bisbee and identified potential energy
conservation opportunities.
Read more>>
Powers, Oregon goes
digital to improve wastewater
RosAnna
Noval, Rural Community Assistance Corporation environmental rural development specialist,
worked with the city of Powers, Oregon to create a website to share information
on the city’s collection systems and treatment plant upgrades. The city council
now uses the website to educate the community about its projects.
Check out the website>>
Eye on policy
Contributed by Robert A. Rapoza, Rapoza
and Associates
Recently,
the Obama Administration released its Fiscal Year 2014 Budget. The submission
to Congress was 10 weeks late, due to the delay in Congress’ action on ‘fiscal
cliff’ legislation. For supporters of federal rural development programs and
rural housing programs in particular, the budget was yet one more example of
how little interest the Administration and its Department of Agriculture (USDA)
have in rural development.
Read more>>
General
This
year marks RCAP’s 40th year in business. In 1973, RCAP’s first formal
organizing event, a legal incorporation, took place. This article is the first
of several that look back at the history of RCAP and its predecessor programs.
To read
the full article in Rural Matters
article click here
Rural Community
Assistance Corporation (RCAC) announced the election of three new board
members. Marty Miller of Washington, Rachel Morse of Alaska and Frank Bravo of
California will be replacing three recently retired members.
“Rachel, Marty and Frank are part of the new generation of leadership on the
RCAC board and bring a new energy to the work we do,” said Stan Keasling, RCAC chief executive officer. “They all
have the depth of experience in rural community development that will help
to shape RCAC’s work in the coming years.”
Read more>>
To see
the full map>>
The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to make several changes to its
application process that will make it simpler for agricultural producers and
rural businesses to seek loan and grant funding for renewable and energy
efficiency projects.
Read
more>>
Test your knowledge with
free online quizzes
The U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced its new housing
discrimination mobile application for iPhones and iPads, which is designed to
educate homeowners and buyers of their housing rights.
Read
more>>