Nebraska designated $723 million in ARPA funds to create resilient communities
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Nebraska Department of Economic Development received $723 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to strengthen the economy.
Nebraska received $1.04 billion in Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds from the ARPA.
The Nebraska State Legislature allotted a majority of the money to help create more resilient communities across the state.
The department will be generating 29 programs designed to help communities, businesses, affordable housing and jobs.
Over $110 million will be dispersed in the form of recovery grants to communities located in Qualified Census Tracts. These are areas with a poverty rate of at least 25%, or where 50% of households have incomes below 60% of the local median income.
Nearly $147 million will go to business development, entrepreneurship, internships, crime prevention and affordable housing.
State-funded programs for housing, internship grants and a public-private partnership facility grant to support the U.S. Strategic Command Center will receive $140 million in funding.
Job training, facility building and rural workforce expansion will receive $195 million.
The multiyear investment is effective immediately and will run through 2026.
Applications for the first round of programs are expected to open in September. Additional funding opportunities will run through fall of 2024.
“DED is committed to a monthly communication cadence that will ensure our citizens are fully aware of our progress fulfilling program objectives,” said Economic Development Director Anthony L. Goins. “This includes updates via email, social media channels, radio interviews and press conferences. We are excited about this economic development endeavor and the growth return for our state.”
To learn more about these programs and sign up for ongoing updates via email, please visit the Economic Recovery Program’s page at opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/recovery.
A list of eligible programs, available funds, and key application and award dates can be found in the tables below:
|
No. |
ARPA-Funded Grant Programs |
Total Available Funds |
Application Open Date (Estimated) |
Award Date (Estimated) |
|
1 |
Affordable Housing in Lincoln Qualified Census Tracts |
$20M |
September 2022 |
October 2022 |
|
2 |
Affordable Housing in Omaha Qualified Census Tracts |
$20M |
September 2022 |
October 2022 |
|
3 |
Standing Bear Film |
$5M |
September 2022 |
September 2022 |
|
4 |
County Agricultural Society |
$5M |
September 2022 |
September 2022 |
|
5 |
Internships & Crime Prevention |
$6M |
October 2022 |
November 2022 |
|
6 |
Financial Literacy Program |
$1M |
October 2022 |
November 2022 |
|
7 |
iHub |
$30M |
November 2022 |
July 2023 |
|
Qualified Census Tract Recovery Grant Program – North Omaha |
≥$55M* |
May 2023 |
June 2023 |
|
|
9 |
Qualified Census Tract Recovery Grant Program – South Omaha |
≥$35M* |
May 2023 |
June 2023 |
|
10 |
Qualified Census Tract Recovery Grant Program – Lincoln |
$10M |
May 2023 |
June 2023 |
|
11 |
Qualified Census Tract Recovery Grant Program – Outside Lincoln and Omaha |
$10M |
May 2023 |
June 2023 |
|
12 |
Capital Projects Fund |
$128M |
October 2022 |
November 2022 |
|
13 |
Business Park in Omaha Qualified Census Tracts |
$60M |
October 2022 |
April 2023 |
|
14 |
Building Mental Health Care and Education Capacity Program |
$40M |
September 2022 |
October 2022 |
|
15 |
Nebraska Meat Processing Wastewater Pretreatment and Runoff Control |
$20M |
September 2022 |
October 2022 |
|
16 |
Nuclear Plant Siting Feasibility Study Program |
$1M |
September 2022 |
October 2022 |
|
17 |
Nebraska International Event Sponsorship Fund |
$0.5M |
September 2022 |
September 2022 |
|
18 |
Shovel-Ready Capital Recovery and Investment Act |
$100M |
Closed |
July 2022 |
|
19 |
Rural Workforce Housing Land Development Program |
$10M |
October 2022 |
December 2022 |
|
20 |
Pandemic Relief Housing Program |
$8M |
October 2022 |
December 2022 |
|
21 |
Economic Development Administration & Tourism |
$3M |
October 2022 |
December 2022 |
|
22 |
Refugee Job Training and Placement |
$1M |
October 2022 |
November 2022 |
|
23 |
NIFA LIHTC Pandemic Relief Program |
$20.5M |
Not Applicable |
August 2022 |
|
TOTAL ARPA FUNDS |
$595.8M |
|||
|
No. |
State-Funded Grant Programs |
Total Available Funds |
Application Open Date (Estimated) |
Award Date (Estimated) |
|
1 |
Rural Projects Act |
$50M |
January 2021 |
July 2022 |
|
2 |
Rural Workforce Housing |
$30M |
October 2022 |
April 2023 |
|
3 |
Middle Income Housing |
$20M |
February 2023 |
August 2023 |
|
4 |
Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control |
$0.25M |
TBD |
TBD |
|
5 |
InternNe |
$20M |
TBD |
TBD |
|
6 |
Public-Private Partnership facility to support the U.S. Strategic Command |
$20M |
TBD |
TBD |
|
7 |
Shovel-Ready Capital Recovery and Investment Act |
$15M |
Closed |
July 2022 |
|
TOTAL STATE FUNDS |
$155.25M |
|
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