Gov. Ricketts, Dept. of Economic Development, & NIFA Announce Middle Income Workforce Housing Fund Recipients

Press Release

LINCOLN -- Today, Governor Pete Ricketts, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), and the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) announced ten nonprofit organizations selected to receive funds totaling more than $13.6 million through Nebraska's Middle Income Workforce Housing Fund (MIWHF) and NIFA's Urban Workforce Housing Match (NUW-HOM) program.

"After recently announcing grants under the Rural Workforce Housing Fund, today the State is issuing awards to help build affordable homes in our urban communities," said Gov. Ricketts. "Increasing the availability of high-quality, affordable homes will grow our workforce as we continue to create great-paying jobs in Nebraska."

Created under the 2020 Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment Act (LB866) signed into law by Gov. Ricketts, the MIWHF provides matching grants to Nebraska nonprofits for investments into older neighborhoods and higher minority areas within parts of Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy counties.

The awards will enable recipients to invest in revolving housing funds and initiate projects--from new construction or rehabilitation to upper-story development--that add to the quantity of owner-occupied workforce housing options in their service areas.

"Supporting the organizations who are out there, with boots on the ground, building stronger neighborhoods and better communities is one way we will achieve our goals for housing in our state," said DED Director Anthony L. Goins. "Our congratulations and appreciation go out to each of today's recipients for the outstanding work they do to grow Nebraska."

The State contributed $9,601,990 to today's awards, with NIFA supplying another $5 million in matching dollars through its NUW-HOM program. Each of the recipients is also required to contribute at least a 1:1 match.

"In furtherance of NIFA's mission to sustainably increase affordable housing stock, we are pleased to partner with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and provide matching funds through our NUW-HOM program," said NIFA Executive Director Shannon Harner. "We look forward to collaborating with them and the award recipients to create additional homeownership opportunities for moderate-income households in our core urban neighborhoods."

Meanwhile, Nebraska has continued to see the results of a similar program--the Rural Workforce Housing Fund (RWHF)--come to fruition. Signed into law by Gov. Ricketts in 2017, the RWHF has since generated a greater than 15:1 return on State investment in the form of over 800 new units in rural areas, valued at more than $30.3 million in project costs.

"We as a State are going to continue to work side-by-side with community stakeholders to get the job done when it comes to workforce housing," said DED Director Goins.

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