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USDA Rural Development Highlights 2022 Successes in Nebraska

Name
Kate Bolz
City
Lincoln, NE
Release Date

LINCOLN, NE, Feb. 7, 2023 – Ahead of the 2023 State of the Union address, USDA Rural Development Nebraska State Director Kate Bolz today highlighted the ways the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering on its promises to build a better America and rebuild the backbone of the country, the middle class.

USDA Rural Development invested $269.5 million in obligated funding in Nebraska for Fiscal Year 2022, through housing, community facilities, water and environmental, businesses, electric, and telecommunications programs. These programs assisted thousands of families, communities, and businesses to build a better America.

“At USDA Rural Development, we know that when rural America prospers, all of America prospers,” Bolz said. “We are proud to champion rural businesses, communities, and individuals by creating good-paying jobs, strengthening rural infrastructure, and helping individuals make their homes in rural Nebraska. We look forward to building on this success throughout 2023.”

Examples of 2022 investments in Nebraska include:

  • Greater Omaha Packing Company received a $19.9 million grant to increase annual production to 195,000 cattle per year and create 275 jobs.
  • Harlan County Health System received a $65,001 grant to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and increase access to health care services.
  • The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska received a $78,733 grant to repair and rehabilitate housing owned or occupied by low-income rural residents.
  • The Village of Lodgepole received a $1.8 million dollar loan to install three new water wells, piping, and a new 150,000-gallon elevated water tank to combat contamination in the village’s water supply. 

USDA Rural Development’s actions in 2022 rebuild our economy and rural communities, minimize impacts of climate change, create good-paying jobs for American workers, and invest in our families. Here is a look at just a few of USDA Rural Development’s many examples of success in 2022:

  • Invested more than $1.3 billion to increase renewable energy production.
  • Made $300 million available under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to expand renewable energy and support energy-efficiency projects for people in rural America. This funding includes $250 million provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.
  • Invested nearly $2 billion to expand access to reliable, high-speed internet. These investments include $548 million from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
  • Expanded access to distance learning and telemedicine services to 71 health care facilities and 26 schools to help 2 million rural people connect with educational and medical professionals virtually.
  • Invested millions in grants and loans to help low-income seniors repair their homes and homebuyers purchase homes in local communities.
  • Invested $1.7 billion through Community Facilities Programs to help more than 10 million rural people access critical resources to help them thrive. Out of these investments, $1 billion helped build or improve 74 health care facilities; $343 million helped build or improve 153 schools and educational facilities; and $148 million helped build or improve 464 fire, rescue, and public safety stations.
  • Invested $380 million through the American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Rural Health Care Grants to provide immediate relief to16 million rural people by supporting 563 rural hospitals and health care clinics across the nation.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, 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.

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 https://www.rd.usda.gov/ne.

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