LINCOLN, NEB. (February 27, 2007)—The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has announced that six cities, housing authorities, and nonprofit organizations will share $1,132,625 in Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF) money to build rental units, rehabilitate housing, and use for housing activities including technical assistance and education.

The projects fall within the categories of Collaborative Resource Allocation for Nebraska (CRANE) or Flexible Investment Targeting (FIT).

The CRANE program represents a strategic allocation process between the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority and other resource providers to fund difficult projects, such as housing for adults with mental illness, or other special needs populations.

FIT projects are identified as innovative in physical design, financing, and program delivery, highly leveraged, and models that can be replicated in other areas of Nebraska.

CRANE projects sharing $372,725 funding include:

• Cirrus House, Inc., Scottsbluff—A $72,725 grant to build eight rental units for very low-income adults with serious mental illness.

• New Community Development Corporation, Omaha—A $300,000 grant to build 51 units of rental housing for households earning at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income where one household member is age 55 or older.

FIT projects sharing $759,900 funding include:

• Chadron Housing Authority—A $150,000 grant to rehabilitate five rental units.

• High Plains Community Development Corporation, Chadron—A $20,000 grant to provide technical assistance and education about the Fair Housing Act and related laws to rural housing providers, community organizations and rural municipalities.

• City of Lincoln—A $250,000 grant to rehabilitate 20 owner and/or tenant occupied units in the Hartley Neighborhood over two years. The first year’s funds will focus on Kleckner Court located between R and Q streets and 30th and 32nd streets.

• Nebraska Housing Developers Association, Lincoln—Three awards. A $10,600 grant to deliver technical assistance to, and set up an information network for affordable housing and nonprofit development organizations statewide; a $20,000 grant to offer RENTwise educational workshops at 20 organizations; and a $28,400 grant to provide technical housing development assistance, and homebuyer and organizational capacity building activities statewide in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Community Development Initiative and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Rural Housing and Economic Development program.

• City of Omaha—Two awards. A $249,100 grant for predevelopment expenses in the Long School Neighborhood; and a $31,800 grant to develop and implement the Park Avenue District Redevelopment Plan.

FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:

CRANE projects—Paula Rhian at 800-426-6505, 402-471-3760, or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

FIT projects—Lorenzo Claxton at 800-426-6505, 402-471-4169, or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Individuals who are hearing and/or speech impaired and have a TDD, may contact the department through the Statewide Relay System by calling one of the following numbers:
711, (800) 833- 7352 (TDD), or (800) 833-0920 (voice).
The relay operator should be asked to call DED at (800) 426-6505, or (402) 471-3111.