Investments Will Help More Than 14,800 People in South Dakota
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Department is investing $86 million to improve equitable access to jobs, business opportunities, education, housing and health care for people who live and work in rural areas. The investments are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensure that people living in rural communities have equitable access to the infrastructure and opportunities often taken for granted by people living in urban and suburban areas.
“Regardless of where they live, their race, ethnicity or gender, or the size of the town in which they live, all people must have access to decent housing, clean water and good job opportunities,” Vilsack said. “This is foundational to a healthy society and stable communities. Today’s announcements build on the historic investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Biden to ensure equity during a time when people living in underserved places are suffering the most. These investments will go a long way toward helping America ‘Build Back Better’ toward a just and more equitable society.”
Background:
Vilsack highlighted 218 investments that USDA is making in six programs specifically designed to help people and businesses in rural areas. These programs include Tribal College Initiative Grants, Rural Community Development Initiative Grants, Housing Preservation Grants, Delta Health Care Grants, Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grants and Water and Waste Disposal Grants.
The funding will help more than 425,000 people in 46 states, Puerto Rico and the Western Pacific. It reflects the many ways USDA Rural Development helps rural residents, businesses and communities address economic development, infrastructure and social service needs. It will help low-income people make health and safety repairs to their homes. It will help build and improve water and wastewater infrastructure for people living in U.S. communities along the Mexico border. It will help rural business owners in the Mississippi Delta get access to capital and business development assistance. It also will help colleges that serve Tribal populations upgrade campus buildings and services.
For example, in South Dakota:
- Oglala Lakota College in Kyle, SD, is receiving a $175,448 Tribal College Initiative Grant to repair parking lots at six of the Oglala Lakota College campuses on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Repairs will consist of asphalt patching, crack sealing, and chip sealing. These repairs will help keep he college facilities in good condition while fostering future success of the college and it’s 1,700 enrolled students.
- Sisseton Wahpeton College in Agency Village, SD, is receiving a $160,592 Tribal College Initiative Grant to finance improvements to the Sisseton Wahpeton College’s campus. Sisseton Wahpeton College will purchase equipment to improve technology capabilities for the classrooms and students and install energy efficiency lighting. The upgrades will provide an improved learning environment and more energy efficient facility for this rural South Dakota college.
- Sinte Gleska University in Mission, SD, is receiving a $175,448 Tribal College Initiative Grant that will be supplemented with applicant contribution funds to allow the university to do roofing projects on four buildings on the Mission campus. These funds will allow them to keep these buildings well maintained and viable for holding classes and administrative functions in the buildings with no issues from roof leakage. Sinte Gleska University serves the Rosebud Sioux Tribe reservation and surrounding areas.
The timing of these awards coincides with Native American Heritage Month, which is celebrated every November to highlight the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, contributions, and histories of Native people. It helps raise awareness about the unique challenges Native people face, and the ways in which Tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
The 218 awards Secretary Vilsack announced today are being made in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Western Pacific.
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. 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 Rural Development is prioritizing projects that will support key priorities under the Biden-Harris Administration to help rural America build back better and stronger. Key priorities include combating the COVID-19 pandemic; addressing the impacts of climate change; and advancing equity in rural America. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.