Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Homebuyer Education Course

Mid Plains Community College - Valentine Extended Campus will be offering a course to help people who are interested in purchasing a home.  See the Mid Plains website for information on the class.  This is offered by the Central Nebraska Housing Developers group.  It will be held in April.  For more information contact Wendy at hayesw@mpcc.edu or by calling 402-376-8033.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

DED News Release--$1.7 million funding awarded for housing projects statewide

DECEMBER 14, 2011 (LINCOLN, NEB.)—The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has awarded $1.7  million in HOME funding for owner-occupied rehab, and purchase, rehab, resale housing projects in southeastern, north and south central, southwestern and western Nebraska.

One of the projects include:

•Central Nebraska Economic Development, Inc., dba Central Nebraska Housing Developers (CNHD), a nonprofit housing program, was awarded $300,000 HOME funds to operate homebuyer assistance programs that serve a minimum nine low- and moderate-income families residing in the organization’s 17-county region. A portion of funding also will cover housing management and testing for lead-based paint. Each program features three components: purchase, rehab and resale; down payment and rehab assistance, and homebuyer education. Those who earn 80 percent below the AMI may qualify for the program. The counties within CNHD’s coverage area are: Blaine, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Custer, Garfield, Greeley, Hamilton, Holt, Howard, Keya Paha, Loup, Merrick, Rock, Sherman, Valley and Wheeler. For information contact Judy Petersen at 402-340-0106 or judy@cnhdhome.org
 
 Recently the Valentine Cherry County Economic Development Program has been working with the housing issue in Valentine.  We have enlisted some help from Judy Petersen at CNHD.  There is a housing shortage for rent or own in Valentine and a group of citizens along with the Director & Assistant of the ED program have been meeting to come up with some solutions.  If you are interested in joining these meetings, email director@heartcity.com.  Stay tuned for some more information.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

What Has Been Accomplished in the Last 5 Years?

In 2006, the sales tax was passed to allow for the creation of an LB840 Fund.  With this money the Valentine Cherry County Economic Development Board was created, a part-time director and an assistant were hired.  There has been many projects that have been completed.  So what are those projects you ask.  Read on for more information.

1. BECA grant that allowed for the update of the Heartcity.com website.  This site was first created by GD Media group.  It has now been taken over by the ED group and is maintained on a regular basis.  This website has updates that show job opportunities, tourism information, directory listing of all the businesses in Valentine and Cherry County, along with information on the ED program.  This grant also allowed for Business information to be purchased and available to be checked out from the Public Library.

2. VAAG (Value Added Ag Grant)  - This grant helped with the development of a Website to be taken over by a person to have as a business.  This website is www.sandhillswesternvacations.com.  There is also an RBEG grant from USDA that is still in effect that is helping for the research time used to finish this website.  This will then be turned over to that person as a job going forward and will not be funded by any grants. 

3.  Currently in place is our last BECA grant.  This is used to do funding for Entrepreneurship classes in Cody and Valentine Schools.  This is allows for people to come in to the schools and put on the programs. Cody Schools have been learning Entrepreneurship through their program to create a Grocery Store based off Financial Plans created by student projects. 

4.  The LB840 funds are created from the Sales Tax.  This money goes for Revolving Loans and two grants given out from the fund.  Each year this fund generates around $120,000 in sales tax revenue.  4 Loans have been given out to local businesses to either expand are start new.  One loan was a business that relocated in town.  One grant was given to the Deer Park Golf Course to help with machinery improvements to the course.  One grant was given to the Cherry County Fair Board for improvements to the Show Barn and surrounding buildings to draw more business to the Fairgrounds.  This sales tax will go up for renewal in 2016.

5.  Valentine Cherry County Economic Development program has created an award.  This is the Beautification Award that is given out to a business who is trying to improve the community by doing improvements to their stores.  Recipients are shown on the website.  You can go online at www.heartcity.com to get a form to Nominate a business.

6.  The Economic Development Program has helped assist in putting on classes for Businesses and local people learn things that will help with their business.  REAP has helped put on a class showing how to write a Business Plan, learning Quickbooks Software, etc.

Many other projects have been completed in the last 5 years.  Current projects that are being worked on is a Housing project, Community Center project, and other opportunities to help our existing businesses.

If you are interested in knowing more about the ED program, please look at our website.  Or you may contact Director Mike Burge at director@heartcity.com or Kari Shaffer at assistant@heartcity.com.