Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA)
USDA Rural Development (RD) continues to support the implementation of BABAA as it energizes domestic manufacturing, strengthens supply chains, and creates good jobs for people of all backgrounds and experiences across the United States. RD has been approved to offer waivers to help meet BABAA requirements. Please see the waiver section of the webpage, or contact your local RD State Office, for more information.

Greenlights Grant Initiative
The “Just Keep Livin Foundation” program is designed to help school districts access federal funding to create safer schools. They offer links to grants and grant writing resources. 

Dig into your Food Network:

• National Farm to School Network, Farmers Market Coalition, Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, and local food policy councils are all working to help mobilize and uplift the efforts of specific local and regional food systems sectors and initiatives.
• The Farmers Market Coalition (FMC)
  National Farmers Market Week is August 6 through August 12^th. FMC designed a new Toolkit to help communities and Farmers Markets plan for the event!
• The County Role in Food Systems: Local Strategies to Address Hunger, Health and Nutrition: National Association of Counties (NACo) report that provides insight and resources on addressing hunger, nutrition and health to support a whole-of-government approach to improving the nation’s food systems.
• The Dirt is the monthly e-newsletter of the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program. Stay up to date with the latest information on webinars, grant funding, and farm to school activities going on near you. Subscribe!

Success Stories

7/25: USDA RD Stakeholder Listening Sessions on Decoupling as a Preservation Tool for the Multifamily Housing Portfolio: Stakeholders are invited to provide input on how these changes may impact policies, program requirements and operations under the Multifamily Housing Direct Loans and Multifamily Housing Rental Assistance programs. Stakeholder Announcement.

10/24-27: The 2023 National Rural Housing Conference (NRHC), Washington, DC

A Primer on Affordable Housing Development and Key Funding Sources 
This HUD Exchange resource is intended for community agencies, Continuums of Care (CoCs), service providers and other housing stakeholders who are looking to develop or assist in the development of affordable housing units in rural communities. View additional Rural Homelessness Resources.

Mapping a New Terrain: Five Principles for Equitable Rural Outdoor Recreation Economies
Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group offers this “Call to Action” relating the pressure of the short-term rental industry and the rural housing market as homeowners shift to visitors rather than long-term tenants. Challenges can be especially pronounced in recreation communities. Learn about possible housing solutions for recreation economies, like rental housing financed by low-income housing tax credits and community land trusts, to ensure long-term affordability for a sustainable and equitable local economy.

The Housing Assistance Council (HAC)
HAC focuses on developing the capacity of local leaders in nonprofit organizations to help their own communities. This is done by providing formal trainings, offering one-on-one technical assistance, and connecting local organizations to resources that can build their capacity and strengthen their communities.

Housing Counseling Disaster Field Guide: An Action-Oriented Tool for Disaster Response
The HUD Office of Housing Counseling, in coordination with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offer this guide to prepare housing staff for disaster deployment. Additional links to housing disaster resources for housing professionals are obtainable from this site.

Stakeholder Spotlight

Housing Success Stories

PRIDE: A Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, And Intersex Pride Month, 2023 | The White House

6/27: USDA RUS IRA Cross-Agency Rural Clean Energy Funding Opportunity Webinar. USDA, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies will host a virtual event for rural stakeholders featuring Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding and other clean energy resources.

6/29: AIANTA and the U.S. Forest Service will host an informational webinar regarding the Request for Proposals for NATIVE Act Tribal Projects and Initiatives on or Adjacent to U.S. Forest Service Managed Lands. The webinar will include a panel of past grantees and a question and answer session specific to types of projects, timelines, the application process and implementation. See the RFP.  

6/30: Housing Co-ops Discussion: Presented by the Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development. Join via Microsoft Teams. Food Systems, Real Estate, Child Care and Equitable Co-op Ecosystem Meetings will be future webinar topics.

7/19 & 25: USDA RD Stakeholder Listening Sessions on Decoupling as a Preservation Tool for the Multifamily Housing Portfolio - Stakeholders are invited to provide input on how these changes may impact policies, program requirements and operations under the Multifamily Housing Direct Loans and Multifamily Housing Rental Assistance programs. Stakeholder Announcement. Register ahead - July 19 and July 25.

7/11: The Native CDFIs: Lending Insights, Best Practices, and Policy Considerations.  

Recorded: Housing Solutions in Recreation Communities Webinar. EPA, USDA, and HUD discuss housing in gateway communities. Gateway communities lie just outside or adjacent to major tourist attractions such as national parks, wilderness areas, or nature resorts.

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month!
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success.

USDA to Bring New Jobs and Improved Infrastructure to Rural Partners Network (RPN) Communities
USDA provided awards to benefit RPN communities and support their long-term visions for strong, local economies. Complete list of projects. For more information on RPN, visit Rural.gov.

Introduction to Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA) Webinar Recording and Q&A Available
USDA Rural Development is supporting the implementation of BABAA as it energizes domestic manufacturing, strengthens supply chains, and creates good jobs for people of all backgrounds and experiences across the United States. For more information please see these resources: Webinar Recording, Q&A Document and our BABAA Customer Guide.

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding for USDA Rural Development
IRA represents the largest single investment in rural electrification since the passage of the Rural Electrification Act in 1936. Sections 22001 through 22005 of IRA provide new loan and grant products and unprecedented incentives to expand clean energy, transform rural power production, create jobs and spur economic growth to be offered by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service and Rural Business and Cooperative Service. Current Events, Recorded Webinars and Funding Updates will be posted on this website!

Building a Clean Energy Economy: A Guidebook to the Inflation Reduction Act’s Investments in Clean Energy and Climate Action
This guidebook, offered by the White House, provides a program-by-program overview of the Inflation Reduction Act, including who is eligible to apply for funding and for what purposes. You can find the most recent information on the Inflation Reduction Act at www.CleanEnergy.gov. Read the full Announcement. Also see the IRA Tribal Guidebook.

USDA Rural Development Offers a new Tribal Relations Webpage
The USDA Rural Development Tribal Relations office is a part of the Innovation Center's Strategic Engagement Division, which ensures relevant programs and policies are efficient, easy to understand, accessible, and developed in consultation with the American Indians and Alaska Native constituents they impact. 

Blog of the Month: 

5/31: Registration & 6/1: Registration - USDA Rural Development IRA Clean Energy Events- RUS will provide background on the NOFOs for PACE and New ERA that were published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2023.

Recorded: USDA RD’s REAP Inflation Reduction Act Webinar and Frequently Asked Questions

5/31: Rural Gateway Peer-to-Peer Webinar: Understanding the USDA - Rural Development Inflation Reduction Act Funding Opportunity for Rural Communities. Please pre-register to receive a joining link. Questions: Call 1-877-RURAL-26 (1-877-787-2526)

Recorded:What the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Means for Energy CommunitiesInteragency Working Group (IWG) on Coal & Power Plant Communities & Economic Revitalization offered this two-part webinar series exploring the historic investments in the IRA featuring multiple Federal program funds, including tax credits, relevant to energy communities.

10/16–18: ACEEE: Energy Efficiency as a Resource (Philadelphia, PA)  

USDA Rural Development Build America, Buy America (BABAA) Customer Guide This guide is designed to help people determine if their project is subject to BABAA and explain how to document compliance. USDA RD’s implementation waiver for BABAA expired Feb. 3, 2023. All non-Federal organizations receiving USDA RD financial assistance for infrastructure projects are now required to exclusively use iron, steel, manufactured products and construction materials manufactured in the United States. The Build America, Buy America Act was enacted on Nov. 15, 2021, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Full Stakeholder Announcement. 

RRDC: Findings from National Listening Sessions on Rural Community, Economic, and Workforce Development The Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) released this initiative to support the critical investments needed to build community capacity and improve quality of life in rural America. Executive Summary, Full Report, or Topical and Regional Reports. 

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding for USDA Rural Development IRA represents the largest single investment in rural electrification since the passage of the Rural Electrification Act in 1936. Sections 22001 through 22005 of IRA provide new loan and grant products and unprecedented incentives to expand clean energy, transform rural power production, create jobs and spur economic growth to be offered by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service and Rural Business and Cooperative Service. Current Events, Recorded Webinars and Funding Updates will be posted on this website!

Linkages Between Rural Community Capitals and Healthcare Provision: A Survey of Small Rural Towns in Three U.S. Regions This study examines community-level factors affecting the recruitment and retention of rural healthcare professionals in 150 small towns in 9 States.

National Listening Sessions on Rural Community, Economic & Workforce The Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) released findings from a comprehensive initiative aimed at identifying the critical investments needed to build community capacity and improve quality of life in rural America. Get the executive summary, full report or topical and regional reports here.

Looking Across Sectors at Strategies for Supporting Rural Youth and Families Tool-Kit Georgetown University published piece offering tools to support youth and families and tackle racial and ethnic disparities in rural areas.

Updated Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) State Fact Sheets Check out your state fact sheet for detailed information about announced BIL funding and projects in each state, along with anticipated funding over the next 5 years. Find Funding Opportunities: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

USDA RD Featured Success Stories

3/28-29: Women's Business Summit sponsored by U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO), the National Women's Business Council (NWBC) and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center (NEC) 

Various: HAC Presents: Overcoming Cost Barriers-Innovative Approaches to Construction with Smart Building Techniques, Volunteers, and Sweat Equity Learning Webinar Series

Recorded: SORP: Destination Stewardship: Reimagine the Purpose of Tourism Through Community Planning. Community stakeholders reimage the purpose of tourism.

10/16–10/18:  ACEEE: Energy Efficiency as a Resource (Philadelphia, PA) 

Food Related Learning/Networking:

• Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) Applicant Webinar
• April 14-19, 2023, National 4-H Conference (Washington, D.C)
• May 1-4, Waste Expo (New Orleans, LA)
• May 8-11, Food Safety Summit (Rosemont, IL)
• May 16-18, Food Waste Solutions Summit (St. Louis, MO)