USDA Rural meets with grant awardees splitting $1M in funding
USDA Rural Development State Director, Maximiliano Trujillo, recently held the first meeting of the Rural Communities Development Innovation (RCDI) Program grantees, which received $250,000 each in grant funding.
The recipients — Foundation for Puerto Rico, Centro para la Reconstrucción del Habitat (CRH), Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), and Protectores de Cuencas — will use the funds to address critical needs within Puerto Rico’s Rural Partners Network (RPN) communities and enhance community resilience, the agency stated.
USDA Rural Development, through the RPN initiative, “remains committed to fostering partnerships and supporting sustainable economic growth of Puerto Rico’s rural communities,” Trujillo said.
Trujillo explained that the RCDI grant does not require matching funds or operates on a reimbursement model. This approach ensures that organizations can focus resources on the immediate needs of the communities they serve, without facing financial barriers to access, he said.
“This grant model demonstrates our commitment to making federal resources more accessible to Puerto Rican organizations, so they can better serve the needs of our communities within the RPN footprint,” he added.
The RCDI Program grant was created to support the technical assistance and capacity building of nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, and municipalities that form part of the Rural Partners Network (RPN) footprint.
The RPN is a federal whole-of-government initiative that enhances access to federal resources and support for rural communities, bringing sustainable solutions to historically underserved areas.
The award recipients will use their $250,000 allocations as follows:
- The Center for Habitat Reconstruction will support the municipalities of Adjuntas, Guánica, and Utuado, reaching southwest and central mountain region community networks. The Center will offer technical assistance to these municipalities on nuisance abatement and landbank development. The project will focus on creating programs and legal frameworks to promote affordable housing and address unoccupied properties.
- Foundation for Puerto Rico will support a combination of five nonprofit organizations and municipalities within the eastern region community network. FPR will focus their efforts on assisting recipients within Fajardo, Naguabo, and El Yunque National Rainforest. The project will focus on developing a visitor economy, outdoor recreation, increasing mobility options, environmental stewardship of natural resources, and building climate resilience.
- Institute for Building Technology and Safety will support the Municipality of Ceiba and three Ceiba-based nonprofit organizations within the eastern region community network. IBTS will advise on planning and economic development, governance, disaster relief management, the solidarity economy, and green and sustainable initiatives.
- Protectores de Cuencas will support the Municipality of Guánica and six other nonprofit organizations throughout the southwestern community network. The nonprofit will provide technical assistance to the Municipality of Guánica on tourism and sustainable economic development, as well as advising two nonprofit organizations each in Guánica, Maricao, and Mayagüez on capacity building and fostering socioeconomic development through natural, cultural, and tourism assets.
