USDA staffers going to Ariz., Ga., Ky., Miss. and N.M. to help communities apply for economic-development aid

"The Biden administration announced Wednesday it will deploy U.S. Department of Agriculture staff into at least 25 rural areas in five states to help local communities with accessing federal economic development dollars, Covid recovery aid and infrastructure funding," Kerry Murakami reports for Route Fifty. "What’s being dubbed the Rural Partners Network will initially work with selected communities and tribes in five states: Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and New Mexico."

Here's the full list of communities that will initially receive assistance; they include three tribes in Arizona, groups of counties in the other states, plus two localities in Georgia, one in far western Kentucky and the public housing authority in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

Many rural areas have difficulty figuring out what grants they're eligible for and may not have the tech know-how, time or staff to apply for them, a senior official told reporters. "USDA’s Rural Development division is leading the initiative, working along with 16 federal agencies and regional commissions," Murakami reports. "While staff for the program—who are trained in community development—will come from USDA, they will help communities navigate the complex federal funding process for all agencies."

The communities in the pilot program "were selected based on factors like economic distress and the readiness of local stakeholders to participate in the effort," Murakami reports. "The Biden administration has plans for the program to expand to Nevada, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Tribal communities in Alaska by the end of August, officials said. It could later spread to all 50 states, but that would depend on congressional approval of funding in the fiscal 2023 budget."