Rural Health
News by Topic: Community and economic development
Jul 24, 2026 - Interview with Cory Cronin, associate professor at Ohio University's Department of Social and Public Health. He discusses the issues involved in nonprofit rural hospitals spending their community benefit budgets, a requirement to invest in improving the health of the local community overall.
Source: WOUB
Jul 22, 2026 - Highlights the Rebuild the Bayou Housing Recovering Initiative, a program offering storm-fortifying housing development in south Louisiana communities impacted by hurricanes. Discusses the work of a local community foundation to support community resilience and response to weather emergencies.
Source: Rural LISC
Jul 22, 2026 - Discusses new available funding for strengthening the Utah state food supply to support local rural community economies and the health of their residents. The funds are part of the state's Rural Health Transformation Program strategy.
Source: KSL
Jul 13, 2026 - Discusses disaster response and recovery measures rural West Virginia communities have implemented as a result of floods in 2016. Notes that rural communities may have additional recovery challenges as they are more likely to have aging populations and fewer resources.
Source: Public News Service
Jul 13, 2026 - Announcement from the Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of forthcoming funding and grant application information for the Native American Technology and Manufacturing Grant Pilot Program—(IGNITE: Indigenous Growth in New & Innovative Trade Employment) program. Funding will support tribal workforce development strategies in construction and infrastructure trades as well as emerging technology sectors. Projects may include housing, roads, utilities, and community infrastructure projects such as structural steel, rebar, bridges, buildings, and infrastructure projects. A notice of funding opportunity will be released on the BIA-OIS website.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 12, 2026 - Describes the economic, civic, and community services costs for communities with unaffordable housing with focus on how this has impacted particular communities in California, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Source: National Association of Counties County News
Jul 7, 2026 - Highlights non-healthcare industries in Idaho that may benefit from Rural Health Transformation Program funding. Discusses the promotion being done by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to promote funding opportunities to these industries.
Source: Idaho Capital Sun
RHS: Notice of Recission of Funding Opportunity for the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) for Fiscal Year 2025
Federal Register
Jul 2, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service rescinding the July 8, 2025, notice announcing that RHS was accepting applications for the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) for fiscal year 2025. USDA Rural Development is currently updating the program's notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to ensure it reflects existing guidance in addition to new policy and program priorities that have emerged since the original publication. Applications submitted under this NOFO will not advance further in the review process. Applicants will be required to submit a new application once a future RCDI NOFO is issued.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding:
Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI)
Jul 2, 2026 - Describes primary care challenges in Texas and discusses how those challenges are reflected in primary care nationally. Challenges discussed include access to care, clinician administrative burden, workforce, and coordinating reform efforts. Notes that primary care in rural, frontier, and underserved regions of Texas support community stability and vitality. Highlights broad policy options for supporting primary care.
Source: Commonwealth Fund
Jun 30, 2026 - Discusses how federal funds for brownfield cleanup projects benefits economic development in small communities. Points to previously funded projects in Wisconsin that led to a new healthcare facility, housing, and more.
Source: Wisconsin Public Radio