The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) has announced the recipients of $3 million in funding under a special disaster recovery allocation of the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF).
In response to the March floods, Governor Pete Ricketts directed State departments to strategize for the deployment of resources and programs to assist affected areas. DED identified housing as a main priority area for the state’s economic and physical recovery.
“In the aftermath of the floods, State agencies have been searching for ways to provide additional assistance to impacted communities,” said Gov. Ricketts. “These announced recovery funds, which are made possible by the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, will go a long way to support local rebuilding efforts. I want to thank DED for identifying funding to reallocate for disaster relief. I deeply appreciate the work of all of our State agencies as they continue to go the extra mile to serve their fellow Nebraskans.”
As the March waters began to recede, DED proposed an amendment to its 2019 NAHTF Qualified Allocation Plan to allocate up to $3,005,000 from the NAHTF for disaster recovery housing projects. The amendment was finalized after a 14-day public comment period, and eligible applicants were given until July 31 to submit applications.
Ultimately, DED received six applications for assistance, with three submitted from Congressional District 1 and three from Congressional District 3. All six were selected for award at the amount of $500,000, for a total of $3 million.
Recipients will use their funding to support a wide array of housing recovery efforts. Planned projects span from demolishing and rebuilding homes outside the flood plain to rehabilitating homes, building new units and assisting families with down payments on new homes. All of the projects will benefit homeowners and renters at or below 120% of the area median income.
“Nebraska is very fortunate to have a housing program that is flexible and can be adapted to meet the needs of our state,” said Dan Curran, DED Interim Director. “The NAHTF has allowed us to be a resource for our communities as they recover and rebuild, and will have a huge impact on families moving forward.”
The full list of NAHTF Disaster Recovery Housing Project funding recipients is provided below.
Congressional District 1 Recipients:
- Growing Regional Economic Activity Today (Nebraska City Area): $500,000
- Greater Fremont Development Foundation: $500,000
- City of Peru: $500,000
Congressional District 3 Recipients:
- Village of Lynch: $500,000
- Pierce County: $500,000
- City of Wood River: $500,000