Tuesday, July 17 | 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Clarion Hotel and Conference Center
2480 Jonathan Moore Pike, Columbus, IN
(Formerly the Holiday Inn)

Featured speakers:

Charles W. Fluharty
Founder, President Emeritus, and Vice President for Policy Programs of the Rural Policy Research Institute, the only national policy institute in the U.S. solely dedicated to assessing the rural impacts of public policies.

Dr. Michael Hicks
Director of Ball State’s Center for Business and Economic Research will further discuss his Indiana Community Asset and Index Ranking study.

Breakout sessions:

• Finding Wealth: planting seeds to grow rural communities

• Capturing Wealth: how can community foundations better answer the question: ‘Why should I give?’ to reach wealth holders
• Economic Development 101: learning the language
  of economic development and community foundations
• The Wabash County Model: an Indiana example of banks, foundations and communities working together

Find more information from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs web site.

Rural homeless are more likely to live out of plain sight, they double or triple up (in terms of households) in small apartments or homes, live in their cars, stay at motels, or stay outside hidden from view (The Rural Blog).

The same structural factors that contribute to homelessness in urban areas lead to homelessness in rural areas – lack of affordable housing and inadequate income.  But unlike urban areas, the infrastructure to provide quick and comprehensive services to those experiencing homelessness is not as readily available (National Alliance to End Homelessness).

Contributing factors include:

• Low density residential development typically favors homeownership and lowers affordability.
• Rental housing may not be as readily available, especially outside of towns.
• Lack of public transportation and long commuting distances to jobs make income generation difficult for those without cars.
• Services (when they exist) may be miles away – another transportation challenge.

Federal programs tend to focus on addressing urban homelessness, though several programs exist through USDA Rural Development that address affordable housing and transportation in rural areas.  One way to quickly search for programs is through the Ball State University Building Better Communities Toolbox Guide to Development Funds: https://www.bsu.edu/webapps2/directory/cecd/default.asp.

Additionally, The Housing Assistance Council (HAC), in partnership with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, has created the Rural Homelessness Capacity Building initiative to provide rural homeless organizations with the technical assistance, training, information, and financial resources they need to improve their ability to serve homeless populations.  Information at: http://www.ruralhome.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=55.

Four Indiana organizations and IACED members were among the recipients.

• Hoosier Upland Economic Development – $26,369
• Southern Indiana Development Commission – $79,110 (total for four awards)
• Northeast Indiana Housing Partnership – $21,369
• Southeastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission – $50,738 (total for two awards)

Funds are provided to intermediaries such as town or county governments, public agencies, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and non-profit and faith-based and community organizations. These organizations then distribute the grants to homeowners and owners of multi-family rental properties or cooperative dwellings who rent to low- and very-low-income residents.

Grants are used to make general repairs, such as installing or improving plumbing or providing or enhancing access to people with disabilities. Funds may also be used to weatherize and make homes more energy efficient.

HUD

The Senate T-HUD bill, S. 1596, would cut HUD funding by 10 percent below current funding levels. On paper, the funding levels look more optimistic that House-passed T-HUD legislation for FY2012, but a closer look reveals that the Senate increased funding levels by rescinding HUD funds from reserve accounts frequently used by the department to make up gaps between funding levels and actual costs. The Senate legislation does not include enough funding for the Housing Certificate Fund, Project Based Rental Assistance and Tenant Based Rental Assistance to renew all of their contracts. HUD projects that 100,000 families will have trouble renewing their vouchers in 2012 from the Tenant Based Rental cuts alone.

Further, S. 1596 cuts the Public Housing Capital and Operating Funds by 8 percent and 20 percent respectively from current levels. The Capital Fund figure represents a funding level that is 25 percent below what HUD estimates it will need to cover public housing units. The Senate bill cuts Community Development Block Grant funds by 15 percent and both the House and Senate bills would drastically reduce funding for the HOME Investment Partnership Program (25 percent cut in the House and 33 percent cut in the Senate). Lastly, neither the House nor the Senate includes the increased funding required to properly implement program changes as a result of the HEARTH legislation.

Overall, these cuts come at a particularly bad time as unemployment and poverty rates remain high and average income levels, especially among families receiving assistance, have decreased. While there are many problematic provisions, it is worth mentioning that the Senate bill does include some bright spots, such as $75 million in increased funding for Veterans Affairs Supported Housing vouchers and maintained funding for the Resident Opportunity Supportive Services program, a program that would be eliminated under the House legislation.

Rural Housing

The T-HUD bill will be taken up next week once more with final passage scheduled for November 1 or 2nd along with the Agriculture, Rural Housing, and Food and Drug Administration bill, H.R. 2111, and the Commerce, Justice, and Science Bill, H.R. 2596 in what is called a “minibus” package.

Many rural housing programs also face deep reductions in FY2012 budgets.  The House passed legislation to fund the 502 Single-Family Subsidized Direct Program at $845.6 million, $276 million or 25 percent below current funding levels.   The Senate increased the figure for 502 Direct to $900 million, but that is still 2$22 million or 20 percent below FY2011 levels.   Both the House and the Senate maintained FY2011 funding of $24 billion for the Section 502 Unsubsidized Guaranteed Loan Program.

Additionally, Senator Coburn (R-Okl.) introduced an amendment to the minibus that would cut $1 billion, or 40 percent, from community development programs across the board. The National Rural Housing Coalition is holding an open conference call tomorrow to help mobilize rural housing advocates in opposition to this amendment.

The information for the call is below: Tuesday, October 25th at 4:00pm Eastern Time. Participant’s number: 888-577-7248, Participant’s code: 2127929

Contact information for Senator Coats:
http://www.coats.senate.gov/contact/
Washington Office:
P: (202) 224-5623
F: (202) 228-1820

Contact information for Senator Lugar:
http://www.lugar.senate.gov/contact/
Washington Office:
P: (202) 224-4814
F: (202) 228-0360

In a press release from the United States Department of Agriculture, Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “The funding we are announcing today will help rural communities remain attractive places for job creation and business expansion.  The Obama administration and USDA are committed to ensuring that rural communities remain economically competitive by offering residents access to quality health care services, modern library facilities and school buildings, and reliable emergency equipment and services.  Financing totaling nearly $55 million in loans and grants will support 107 projects through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program. Eligible projects include essential community facilities for public use in rural areas such as fire protection, safety, health care, education and other community needs.”

The White House plan outlines leveraging existing programs and funding, including committing $350 million in SBA funding to rural small businesses over the next 5 years,  launching a series of conferences to connect private equity and venture capital investors with rural start ups, creating capital marketing teams to pitch federal funding opportunities to private investors interested in making rural investments, making job search information available at 2,800 local USDA offices nationwide, making loans through the Department of Health and Human Services available to help more than 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals recruit additional staff, and helping rural hospitals purchase software and hardware to implement health IT.

The read the full announcement and outline, click here.

The Council will begin discussing key factors for growth, including:

• Jobs: Improve job training and workforce development in rural America
• Agriculture: Expand markets for agriculture, including regional food systems and exports
• Access to Credit: Increase opportunity by expanding access to capital in rural communities and fostering local investment
• Innovation: Promote the expansion of biofuels production capacity and community based renewable energy projects
• Networks: Develop high-growth regional economies by capitalizing on inherent regional strengths
• Health Care: Improve access to quality health care through expansion of health technology systems
• Education: Increase post-secondary enrollment rates and completion for rural students
• Broadband: Support the President’s plan to increase broadband opportunities in rural America
• Infrastructure: Coordinate investment in critical infrastructure
• Ecosystem markets: Expanding opportunities for conservation, outdoor opportunities  and economic growth on working lands and public lands

Click here for the press release.

Thanks to IACED’s friends at the Michigan Rural Network for pointing out that The Daily Yonder, an online multi-media source for rural news, has started a discussion thread on their Facebook page where you can voice your opinion about what the Council should address first. Add your thoughts today!

In order to compete for funding from the Indiana state allocation of grant funds, applications must be received by USDA Rural Development not later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 15, 2011.  Any application received by USDA Rural Development after April 15, 2011, but before June 15, 2011, may compete nationally for any remaining program funds.

Applications should be sent to the Area Specialist for the county where the project is located:

Jeff Devers

788 West Connexion Way, Suite E
Columbia City, IN  46725

(260) 244-6266 Ext. 118

jeff.devers@in.usda.gov

Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Elkhart, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Miami, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley counties.

Marcia Comer

2600 Highway 7 North
North Vernon, IN 47265

(812) 346-3411 Ext. 121

marcia.comer@in.usda.gov

Bartholomew, Clark, Dearborn, Decatur, Floyd, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Ohio, Ripley, Scott, Shelby, Switzerland, and Washington counties.

Deborah Boudreau

1931 Liberty

Bloomington, IN  47403

(812) 334-4318 Ext. 108

deb.boudreau@in.usda.gov

Brown, Clay, Daviess, Greene, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullivan, and Vigo counties.

Curtis Johnson

3641 North Briarwood Lane

Muncie, IN  47304

(765) 747-5531 Ext. 110

curtis.johnson@in.usda.gov

Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Howard, Jay, Madison, Marion, Randolph, Rush, Tipton, Union, and Wayne counties.

John Anthrop

1812 Troxel Drive, Suite C1

Lafayette, IN  47909

(765) 474-9992 Ext. 116

john.anthrop@in.usda.gov

Benton, Boone, Clinton, Fountain, Hendricks, Montgomery, Parke, Putnam, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, and Warren counties.

Wayne Dubble

1484 Executive Boulevard

Jasper, IN  47546

(812) 482-1171 Ext. 136

wayne.dubble@in.usda.gov

Crawford, Dubois, Gibson, Harrison, Orange, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties.

Melissa Christiansen

2903 Gary Drive

Plymouth, IN  46563

(574) 936-2024 Ext. 4

melissa.christiansen@in.usda.gov

Carroll, Cass, Fulton, Jasper, LaPorte, Lake, Marshall, Porter, Pulaski, Newton, St. Joseph, Starke, and White counties.

Rural public entities (towns, communities, State agencies, and authorities), Indian tribes, and rural non-profit corporations are eligible to apply for funding.  Funds will be used by Grantees to assist eligible Ultimate Recipients.  Eligible Ultimate Recipients are defined as small and emerging private businesses that will employ 50 or fewer new employees and have less than $1 million in projected gross revenues.

Rural is defined as any area other than a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 and the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to such a city or town according to the latest decennial census.  At least 51 percent of the outstanding interest in any project must have membership or be owned by U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens.

There is no maximum level of grant funding.  However, smaller projects under $100,000 are given higher priority. Generally grants range from $10,000 up to $500,000.

The RBEG program is a broad based program that reaches to the core of rural development in a number of ways.   Examples of eligible fund use include: Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation, of buildings, plants, machinery, equipment, access streets and roads, parking areas, utilities; pollution control and abatement; capitalization of revolving loan funds including funds that will make loans for start ups and working capital; training and technical assistance; distance adult learning for job training and advancement; rural transportation improvement; and project planning.

USDA Rural Development administers and manages more than 40 housing, business, and community infrastructure and facility programs through a network of 6,100 employees located in 500 national, state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of more than $130 billion in loans and loan guarantees. For more information on programs offered by USDA Rural Development, contact the Indiana State Office at (317) 290-3100 ext. 4 or visit its Web site at www.rurdev.usda.gov/in.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.  To file a complaint of discrimination, write:  USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC  20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

In addition to the one-to-one training and technical assistance to business owners, respondents may be asked by IACED and its partners in Vevay to periodically develop and deliver training sessions to a small group of business owners.

It is expected that the selected respondent will be physically accessible in Vevay at least once every other week and be accessible via phone and email on an on-call basis through the duration of the contract.

IACED seeks a contract with a consultant that will begin no later than January 31, 2011 and continue through November 30, 2011, but such is negotiable upon selection.

Funding for this workshop will be provided in part by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture through federal funds under the Rural Community Development Initiative.  The maximum budget for the entire business management and ownership training is $25,000.

The Request for Proposals is available here.