Lincoln NE, July 20, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Nebraska State Director Kate Bolz today announced the availability of grants to help repair essential community facilities that were damaged by disasters in 2022.
“USDA Rural Development Nebraska stands ready to deploy resources to help communities rebuild essential facilities damaged by disasters,” Bolz said.
USDA is making up to $50 million in grants available through the Community Facilities Disaster Repair Grants Program, which received supplemental disaster funding under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The facilities must be located in eligible rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less and must be in presidentially declared disaster areas. Eligible organizations include public bodies, federally recognized Indian Tribes and community-based nonprofits.
Funds may be used to:
- Repair essential community facilities,
- Replace damaged equipment or vehicles,
- Purchase new equipment to undertake repairs to damaged facilities.
Grants may cover up to 75% of total project cost and the applicant must be unable to finance the proposed project from existing resources or commercial credit. Grant funds may not be used for expenses that have been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources (such as insurance) are obligated to reimburse.
The communities must be in presidentially declared disaster areas. These counties include Antelope, Boone, Burt, Cedar, Cuming, Custer, Dixon, Frontier, Furnas, Garfield, Greeley, Holt, Knox, Logan, Pierce, Polk, Red Willow, Sherman, Thurston, Valley, Wayne, Wheeler, and York Counties.
Applications for Community Facilities Disaster Repair Grants will be accepted on a continual basis until all funds are exhausted. There is no minimum or maximum grant limit per project.
For more information on how to apply, contact Kelley Messenger at kelley.messenger@usda.gov or visit rd.usda.gov/ne.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, promoting competition and 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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