Grinnell, Maquoketa to get Empower Rural Iowa grants

Cities will receive $1,000 each for their Leadership programs

The Gazette

Jan. 20, 2022 12:16 pm

A view of Fourth Avenue in Grinnell. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Thirty-eight projects across the state, including in Grinnell and Maquoketa, will share in more than $500,000 in grant funding as part of the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative.

“The Empower Rural Iowa Initiative has played a key role in transforming our rural communities by expanding broadband access and affordable housing options, which are essential to the growth and retention of our state,” Gov. Reynolds said in a statement Thursday.

The cities of Grinnell and Maquoketa will receive $1,000 each for their Leadership programs.

The Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative developed programs for rural communities:

The Rural Innovation Grant program is aimed at nontraditional concepts to overcome rural community development challenges such as workforce and housing shortages, according to the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
The Rural Housing Assessment Grant program is intended to support efforts to expand access to quality housing. The program uses data from the Iowa Finance Authority and partners with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
The Rural Return Grant program supports programming to attract new residents to move and/or work in rural communities.
The Rural Child Care Market Study grant program supports the use of data and analysis by rural communities, in partnership with First Children’s Finance, to determine solutions for their areas.