07.21.14

Hoeven Announces $177,614 Grant to Benefit Native Americans Job Creations

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Coalition of Indian Housing Authorities of North Dakota (CIHAND) has been awarded a federal grant totaling $177,614. The federal funding, which is awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program (RBEG), will be used to establish a revolving loan fund to provide technical assistance to small and emerging businesses that benefit Native Americans living on or near reservations.

“This federal grant will help to create jobs in our rural communities and help small businesses that provide opportunities for Native Americans in our state,” said Hoeven. “Developing opportunities in our rural areas is important to maintaining the high quality of life we value in North Dakota and keeping our economy growing.”

The RBEG program provides grants for a broad array of projects that support economic development in rural communities, such as financing and facilitating development of rural businesses, helping fund distance learning networks and helping fund employment related adult education programs.

As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a conferee on the 2014 farm bill conference committee, Senator Hoeven helped to negotiate the final version of the farm bill, which reauthorized funding for the RBEG program. Hoeven also serves as a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, where he is working to secure funds that empower North Dakota communities to improve educational and economic opportunity for their residents.