Program areas at RCAC
Community & Environmental Services:RCAC assisted 1,337 rural communities to build, improve, manage, operate or finance drinking water, wastewater or solid waste systems. RCAC reached more than 14,000 training participants through 442 workshops on technical, managerial, and financial topics related to environmental infrastructure. RCAC provided more than 130,000 hours of technical assistance and training to Indigenous communities in the West.RCAC's Building Rural Economies program continues to thrive and served 71 projects this year. Two years ago, we launched a new service to support individual rural-based businesses with business coaching. This year, we provided these direct one-on-one business coaching services to support 108 rural businesses during the year.
Housing:Our stronger Self Help grantees seem to have recovered their pre-pandemic volume while smaller grantees struggle and a few come and a few go.Housing Counseling management changed again in FY23, now having a dedicated manager rather than a shared position. Federal and philanthropic funds continued to be available for use by sub-grantees to assist with foreclosures. Development Solutions completed continued to provide technical assistance on a variety of projects including a permanent supportive housing project in Kalispell, Montana and a mobile home park reconstruction in Riverside County, California. The third group of tribal housing organizations began their participation in the Tribal Housing Excellence Academy (THE Academy) which will continue with classes and individual technical assistance into the next fiscal year. The Homeownership Program continued to support USDA Rural Developments Section 502 Direct mortgage loan program through training, intermediary processing services and general promotion to underserved communities of color.The Disaster Recovery Services program is working on long-term recovery in New Mexico and California, including an analysis of mitigation measures which could help stabilize or even reduce residential fire insurance premiums in high-risk areas.
Loan Fund:The Department had a productive year exceeding our 2022 lending activity. The Loan Fund financed 139 projects lending over $93.8 million in our rural communities. This generated 865 of affordable housing units, helped produce and repair 10,116 waste/water connections, created 57,781 in community facility space and helped create or retain 1,937 jobs. RCAC provided ReLieF loans to our business owners struggling from the impact of covid and the current economy. The pipeline of applications remains strong, the outstanding portfolio stood at over $107 million with a delinquency rate of less than 3% percent. A Closing and Servicing manager were added to the department and a new Assistant Credit and Production Manager has been recruited.