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The following is a summary of the Accessing Federal Resources chapter of the updated Leadership in Times of Crisis Toolkit. This toolkit provides economic developers with tactics, resources, and examples to help recover from a disaster and build resilience. It was launched in August 2022 and funded by the Economic Development Administration. Summary The federal government is an important ally for a community’s recovery efforts after disaster strikes, as it can provide financial and technical assistance at a larger scale than a community may otherwise be capable of. Understanding the federal system is helpful when working to utilize such assistance. Establish Relationships Communities should establish relationships with regional, ...

IEDC’s 2022 Annual Conference will be held next month in Oklahoma City. A few of our local conference speakers shared some exciting economic development projects happening around the state.

Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC)'s recovery and resilience work falls into three major areas—business resilience, workforce and welcoming, and community development. Business resilience Some of our local businesses accessed federal and state relief, pivoted, and even grew. Some still feel the effects of the pandemic and ongoing disruptions. Others floundered or failed due to the new reality of lockdown, or because their foundations were weak. We always knew a lack of financial literacy and basic business skills created risk. This was driven home during the pandemic. BDCC is building business resilience with increased technical assistance delivered by an expanded business services team. We are doubling down on new ...

IEDC recently hosted a webinar—sponsored by the Economic Development Administration—focused on how broadband relates to economic development and the importance of increasing capacity for rural and underserved communities. Moderated by Craig Settles, a broadband industry analyst, the webinar featured Monique Boulet, CEO of Acadiana Planning Commission in Louisiana, and Evan Carlson, chair of NEK Community Broadband in Vermont. Below are highlights from the webinar. Broadband and economic development When Carlson moved to Vermont, he noticed the challenges of working without high-speed internet and began working on ways to improve broadband infrastructure in his area. He believes broadband is necessary infrastructure for ...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month launched an initiative aimed at boosting economic development in rural and underserved communities through a combination of summits and workshops. The Centers of Community Prosperity will host training summits and capacity-building workshops to help communities engage in a bottom up, locally-driven process to address challenges in their region and foster wealth creation, the agency announced. The effort will convene stakeholders including local, state, federal, and tribal partners, land-grant universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, historically black colleges and universities, veterans, and youth organizations. The initiative builds on the agency’s ...

The USDA is now accepting online applications for its ReConnect pilot program to expand broadband access in rural America. The first round of applications is due May 31, and two additional funding opportunities are scheduled for June and July. The impacts of broadband are far-reaching (Connected Nation). Check out these statistics: Broadband access provides households with an estimated $1,850 annual economic benefit. Thirty percent of travel transactions in the U.S. are conducted online. It is estimated that one percentage point increase in broadband access could create or save about 12,000 jobs statewide. Farmers with broadband access see an average 6 percent increase in revenue. In a community of 20,000, home-based ...

The shortage of affordable, quality housing in rural America is an obstacle to economic and workforce development. Rural economic development observer Erik Pages, president of EntreWorks Consulting, wrote a thoughtful article about causes behind the rural housing crisis and tools to address it. Contributing factors include: Demand has increased in recent years in many regions, especially in the Great Plains and Mountain states. Supply has stagnated as rural populations age; older rural residents often age in place. Overall housing turnover is lower in rural markets. Nearly 6 percent of rural homes have declined to substandard quality. Higher labor and material costs create barriers to housing construction and maintenance. ...

The USDA has launched the ReConnect Program, a pilot program that will offer low-interest loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations for broadband infrastructure in rural America. Communities with populations of less than 20,000, where at least 90 percent of households do not have sufficient access to broadband service (defined as 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream), are eligible to apply. The program will provide funding for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities required to bring high-speed broadband to as many rural sites as possible, including homes, healthcare facilities, schools, farms, factories, and other production sites. High-quality broadband is critical to fueling long-term economic development and ...