USDA Rural Development officials from North Dakota and South Dakota met representatives from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Great Plains Regional office. The discussion focused on how to pool resources to provide housing on tribal reservations.  

USDA has several housing programs providing opportunities for homeownership, necessary home repairs, and rental housing. The BIA offers the Housing Improvement Program (HIP), which is a safety-net program that provides grants to American Indian families for the cost of services to repair, renovate & replace housing. The program assists those that live in substandard housing or are without housing and have no other resources for assistance.

USDA Rural Development recently announced two upcoming grant application deadlines.

1. Value Added Producer Grant: applications are being accepted for grants to help agricultural producers enter into value-added activities intended to give them a competitive business edge. In fiscal year 2012, for example, Dakota Pride Cooperative in Jamestown received a $49,000 grant to expand their reach into South Korea by marketing identity-preserved, non-genetically modified soybeans. Learn more. 

2. Rural Business Enterprise Grant: applications are being accepted for grants to finance and facilitate the development of new and existing businesses. Learn more. 

Rural Cooperative Development Grant: Common Enterprise Development Corporation (CEDC) and the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDaREC) were selected to each receive a $200,000 grant. The funding will be used to help rural cooperatives and small businesses expand, create jobs and strengthen their capacity to serve residents and communities. Read on.

Electric Program: North Dakota received more than $170 million in funding for electric utility infrastructure projects serving over 7,700 customers. The cooperatives receiving funding include: Verendrye Electric, Nodak Electric, Capital Electric and Minnkota Power. Read news release.