The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) this week announced recipients under the 2018 Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF) grant cycle.
Established in 1996, the NAHTF is a financial resource designed to help communities improve the quality and quantity of their local housing stock.
Communities with housing concerns face challenges in areas related to growth, workforce readiness and economic development. NAHTF grants, available to local governments, nonprofits and public housing authorities, can help finance an array of housing-related activities and projects to address local housing needs. Example uses include the construction of new owner-occupied or rental units, existing unit rehabilitation and low-income homebuyer assistance.
Housing is one of the most pressing local issues faced by our communities, said DED Director Dave Rippe. But its an area where the rewards for hard work pay great dividends.
Housing is integral to almost every aspect of local economic development workforce, quality of life, resident attraction. When local stakeholders gather around the table, identify the challenges and opportunities facing their communities and formulate a plan of action, the results are often much greater than the sum of individual projects.
Nancy Striebel, Lincoln County Community Development Corporation Executive Director, said the NAHTF program has made a major impact in the city of North Platte and surrounding Lincoln County in the two decades since it was established.
Since 1997, support from the NAHTF has helped us construct 190 affordable housing units in our area, Striebel said. Weve provided homes for police officers, nurses, teachers, mechanics; its made a big difference in our workforce. This year, the program will help us build four new homes that will be sold to first-time homebuyers who are at 80% of the median area income so its helping us hit a targeted population that area contractors are sometimes unable to serve.
This year, DED was able to award upwards of $7.8 million in NAHTF funds to 19 organizations, with 28 applications awarded in all. Beyond set eligibility criteria that include the ability to provide 10 percent in local matching funds, applications were scored on the basis of criteria such as community and regional impact, project readiness and local collaboration.
Among the recipients include the City of Atkinsons Economic Development. LouAnn Tooker, the Director of the Economic Development in Atkinson says the city is building a 3-bedroom duplex on a city-owned lot. The duplex will be a rental property for low-to-moderate income individuals and families. The City of Atkinson received $295,000 from the 2018 NAHTF Grant.
A full list of this years NAHTF recipients is provided below. More information about the NAHTF program can be found at https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/program/nebraska-affordable-housing-trust-fund/ or by contacting DED Housing Manager Lynn Kohout at 402-440-2599 or lynn.kohout@nebraska.gov.