The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) has awarded $2,000,000 to two applicants under the third and final funding cycle of the Pandemic Relief Housing Program. The subrecipients include Kearney Community Sustainable Housing and Southeast Nebraska Affordable Housing Council.
The Pandemic Relief Housing Program was established by Legislative Bill (LB) 1014 in 2022 and funded with federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA). On March 27, 2023, DED announced $4,210,000 of awards under the program’s first round of funding. DED announced $1,790,000 of awards under the program’s second funding cycle on July 18, 2023.
The Pandemic Relief Housing Program provides awards to eligible 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that develop affordable housing. The awards may be used on housing projects exclusively for refugees or immigrants that are located anywhere in the state. The awards may also serve income-qualifying households if projects are located in a qualified census tract (QCT) or in geographies disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. A map of QCTs in Nebraska and a list of counties the State has identified as disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic are available on the program’s webpage: https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/recovery/pandemic-relief-housing-program/.
The third application cycle allocated the remaining funds of the Pandemic Relief Housing Program. In total, DED awarded $8 million through the program. As intended by the Nebraska Legislature, one-half of program funds have been awarded to projects located in counties with a population of fewer than 100,000 residents.
Questions about the program may be emailed to Brittany.Piper@nebraska.gov.
Pandemic Relief Housing Program Award Subrecipients – 3rd Application Cycle
Kearney Community Sustainable Housing – $1,000,000
Project area: Kearney/Buffalo County
Project description: New construction of 6 rental housing units of 2 bedrooms in a multifamily style, which will serve refugee and immigrant households.
Southeast Nebraska Affordable Housing Council – $1,000,000
Project area: Beatrice/Gage County
Project description: New construction of 2 duplexes consisting of 3-bedroom rental housing units, serving income-qualifying households.