Today, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) announced $12,540,000 in awards through the Rural Workforce Housing Fund (RWHF) for program year 2024.
Authorized by the Rural Workforce Housing Investment Act of 2017, the RWHF helps communities create quality, affordable housing to accommodate growth.
“In the current market, it’s challenging to develop reasonably priced housing in rural areas,” said DED Director K.C. Belitz. “Rural Workforce Housing Fund awards can be matched with local dollars to create a revolving loan fund to finance housing construction. Upon sale of the housing units, money is repaid to the fund so that it can be loaned again. This creates an ongoing funding instrument to help develop affordable housing in rural communities.”
For the 2024 funding cycle, RWHF awards were available to eligible non-profit development organizations who supplied at least a twenty-five percent match (that is, twenty-five cents for every one dollar of funds awarded). In many cases, local financial institutions and employers partnered with the primary applicant to provide the local match. Combined, today’s 12 recipients contributed more than $4.94 million in matching funds.
DED administers the RWHF program on behalf of the State of Nebraska through a competitive application process. The Department then partners with recipients to provide input regarding project design, development, and implementation.
In 2024, the Nebraska Legislature approved a transfer of $12,500,000 from the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund to the Rural Workforce Housing Investment Fund to provide for this round of RWHF program awards. Applicants for the program’s 2024 funding cycle requested $28.6 million of awards, signaling continued strong demand for the RWHF program.
The award recipients, their project areas, matching dollars, and amounts awarded are listed below. For more information about the RWHF program, visit opportunity.nebraska.gov/program/workforce-housing-fund. Questions about the program may be directed to Nick Dropinski, Workforce Housing Specialist, at nick.dropinski@nebraska.gov or 402-580-0713.
| Rural Workforce Housing Fund Recipients, March 2025 | |||
| Recipient | Project Area | Local Match | RWHF Award |
| Center for Rural Affairs | Schuyler, York | $520,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Community of Butte Development Corporation | Butte | $150,000 | $400,000 |
| Cuming County Economic Development | West Point | $700,000 | $700,000 |
| Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp. | Grand Island | $300,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Hastings Economic Development Corporation | Hastings | $550,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Merrick County Development Corp. | Central City | $361,200 | $1,200,000 |
| Midwest Housing Initiatives | Beatrice, Nebraska City | $350,000 | $950,000 |
| NeighborWorks Northeast Nebraska | Columbus | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
| NeighborWorks Northeast Nebraska | Norfolk | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Niobrara Development Incorporated | Niobrara | $100,000 | $400,000 |
| North Platte Area Chamber & Development Corp. | North Platte | $610,000 | $1,190,000 |
| Sherman County Economic Development, Inc. | Loup City, Sherman County | $300,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Total | $4,941,200 | $12,540,000 | |