| To have an event posted on our calendar*, please e-mail Janice Clark. Or send event description or brochure to:
Housing Assistance Council
Attn: Janice Clark
1025 Vermont Avenue, NW
Suite 606
Washington, DC 20005
Or fax to (202) 347-3441
Attn: Janice Clark
*Calendar Posting Guidelines:
HAC’s calendar posts announcements about periodic conferences, training sessions, audioconferences, and the like. Topics must be relevant to professionals in the rural housing and community development arena. HAC reserves the right to accept or decline any request to post an item. We do not include sessions provided by entities (for-profit or nonprofit) that offer numerous regularly scheduled training events; links to such entities are provided below.
Community Connections
IPED
HUD Calendar
NeighborWorks
Novogradac and Compan |
Schedule of stakeholder meetings announced
July 26, 2011 – USDA Rural Development has posted online a schedule of meetings and conference calls with stakeholders to discuss regulatory reform. To register for a session, contact that event’s contact person as listed on the schedule.
Written comments on regulations can also be submitted to to rdregreform@usda.gov through the end of July.
Rural Development Regulations Reform
Start: July 7, 2:00 pm ET
End: July 7, 5:00 pm ET
Location: Webinar
On Thursday, July 7, 2011 Rural Development will convene a stakeholder outreach meeting to discuss Rural Development priorities for President Obama’s 2013 budget and 2012 Farm Bill. This meeting will provide Rural Development with valuable input as it develops its mission area priorities for the upcoming fiscal year and will include RD’s senior management across the entire organization.
Please share your insights on how Rural Development can enhance its program administration and delivery to ensure that rural communities are able to access the critical programs and resources that Rural Development has to offer.
Those interested in learning more about the webinar are asked to contact Senior Advisor Sylvia Bolivar at rdregreform@usda.gov or 202-260-8038.
Those interested in submitting written comments are asked to email them to rdregreform@usda.gov. Comments will be accepted through the end of July.
To register for the webinar, visit https://rurdev.webex.com/rurdev/j.php?ED=157964342&RG=1&UID=0&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
Webinar Framework and Questions
To facilitate this webinar, the following discussion framework has been developed to focus on issues in three areas: general topics; programs that help rural communities thrive; and programs that help rural entrepreneurs create economic opportunities.
General Topics:
1. If you have used our programs in the past, how can Rural Development improve its application processes? If not, what processes have you found most useful in other settings?
2. How can Rural Development improve the application forms used for its programs?
3. How can Rural Development improve the reporting process for its programs including increasing the use of electronic applications and online reporting.
4. Are there better ways to encourage public participation and an open exchange of views when Rural Development engages in rulemaking?
5. How can Rural Development better scale its regulatory requirements to lessen the burden imposed on smaller entities and/or smaller projects within the existing statutory limitations?
Rural Communities:
6. Have you benefited from the existing technical assistance programs? How should Rural Development technical assistance efforts be provided in rural communities? (Grant, Pass through grant, training from intermediaries, etc.)
7. Would a regional or community planning effort be helpful to your communities? What role could RD play in this effort?
8. What role do you think Rural Development should play in supporting:
- Emergency preparedness in rural communities, such as levee reinforcement, evacuation shelters, evacuation trailers for pet/wildlife/livestock evacuation, and the like;
- Emergency response, including first responders and public safety initiatives; and
- Long-term disaster recovery
9. Can you tell us about barriers that may exist in accessing or obtaining affordable homeownership and rental properties, including lack of access to commercial credit, language barriers, lack of available homes or rental units, lack of home ownership credit counseling, etc.?
10. What opportunities are there for Rural Development to better partner with local, state, or tribal governments? Do you have suggestions for how to better utilize those opportunities?
Entrepreneurship:
11. How can we improve access to capital in rural America?
12. How can Rural Development better leverage current industry practices (e.g., commercial lending, construction and project development) and standards into its regulations?
13. What role should Rural Development play in supporting greater investments in:
- Renewable energy programs that ensure America’s energy independence and rural economic development?
- Smart grid technologies that enhance the transmission, generation and distribution of electricity?
14. What changes to Rural Development activities would promote economic growth or job creation?
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