Joint HAC and RCAP Publication Focuses on Housing and Water: The Critical Connection
Over the last 40 years, the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) have worked individually and cooperatively to improve the living conditions of the lowest-income rural residents throughout America.
This joint issue of Rural Matters and Rural Voices provides examples of successful projects that have improved opportunities for affordable housing and water and waste services for low-income rural families and communities.
Recently MAP partnered with CRG and transferred their $200,000 Wells Fargo investment to CRG. That partnership yielded an additional $300,000, for a total of $500,000 being added to the CRG/RCAP Loan Fund. These loans are now available throughout the MAP nine-state region. "Keeping the Water Flowing in Rural America for 35 years" is an article within the publication that addresses how the CRG/RCAP loan fund is helping small communities meet critical capital needs and find new funding. To view the full issue, click on the image on the left.
How do we get clean, safe water?
Despite using and benefitting from drinking water and wastewater systems multiple times every day, most of us don't even think about or know how these systems work. It takes a lot, in terms of natural, human, financial and other resources, as well as physical, chemical and biological processes, to bring clean, safe drinking water to your home or to deal wtih the waste you produce from a toilet or washing machine. RCAP has created animated diagrams with short videos to explain some of what is required in treating water. The videos are meant to make non-operators more comfortable with the vocabulary and terms that a plant's operator uses and to help a utility's decision makers understand what is required to operate a dependable and sustainable water utility.
Surface Water Treatment Process
Liquid Assets: The Story of Our Water Infrastructure
Liquid Assets, a ninety-minute documentary, tells the story of essential infrastructure systems: water, wastewater, and stormwater. These systems — some in the ground for more than 100 years — provide a critical public health function and are essential for economic development and growth. Largely out of sight and out of mind, these aging systems have not been maintained, and some estimates suggest this is the single largest public works endeavor in our nation's history. For more information and broadcast schedule, click here.
New RCAP Videos
RCAP has produced videos to accompany some of their newly-published guides. These short, informative videos provide a brief overview of what you'll find inside and how you can best utilize the information. Watch the videos below, then visit our Guides and Publications page to download your own PDF copy of the guides.
New guide on setting rates for small water utilities from RCAP on Vimeo.
New guide on the basics of financial management for small water utilities from RCAP on Vimeo.
USDA and the Obama Administration: Working to Meet the Needs of Rural Homeowners
A new joint issue of HAC's Rural Voices and RCAP's Rural Matters features a story by Undersecretary Dallas Tonsager, USDA Rural Development. While US housing activity has been in the news lately, USDA Rural Development continues to work diligently with credit-worthy residents to help them achieve their goals. The mission of Rural Development's Rural Housing Service (RHS) is to create vibrant, thriving rural communities, a strong housing stock, access to safe, decent and affordable rental housing and access to high quality essential community infrastructure. To read Undersecretary Tonsager's full story, click here.
Nebraska Village Expresses Gratitude to MAP Staff
For the past 10 months, MAP Technical Assistance Provider, Gregg Hinrichsen has been assisting the Village of Kenesaw in Nebraska. MAP received a letter from Kenesaw stating, "Gregg guided and supported the Village to complete an income survey, and has been extremely helpful in sharing his great source of knowledge to our new Sewer Department Superintendent. Gregg helped to identify problems and assisted with implementing a plan for our wastewater treatment facility, and gave guidance when we needed to complete our discharge monitoring reports. Gregg's assistance has contributed to a substantial cost savings for the Village of Kenesaw and has possibly eliminated the need for an additional lagoon."
The Village Board of Trustees and Staff were so appreciative of the assistance Hinrichsen provided that they sent a donation to MAP as a thank you to the organization, and specifically for Gregg's contribution to their community.
Donations can be directed to MAP, a 501(c)(3) non-profit by clicking here. Thanks to the Village of Kenesaw for their generous contribution!
RCAP Produces Three New Guides
The Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) has produced three new guidebooks to assist small, rural communities in the management and operations of their drinking water and wastewater systems:
- Sustainable Infrastructure for Small System Public Services: A Planning and Resource Guide
- Formulate Great Rates: The Guide to Conducting a Rate Study for a Water System
- Getting Your Project to Flow Smoothly: A Guide to Developing Water and Wastewater Infrastructure
Click here for a detailed description of each guide, and visit our Recent Publications page to download a PDF version.
Tribal Response Program Training Video
This video was produced by Midwest Assistance Program (MAP) as part of a project funded by the US EPA to develop training materials for the Tribal Response Program (TRP) authorized under Section 128(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended in 2002. The purpose of the video was to interview tribal members and staff that have had some experience in the implementation of the TRP so that the training could include "tribes-training-tribes". The interviews and video work was conducted by two members of the Athabascan Nation from Storyteller Productions Inc., a company based in Alaska. Mickey Hartnett of MAP accompanied the crew on a two week tour of Tribes in South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana and Mary Ahlstrom of MA Environmental Inc. accompanied them on visits to two Colorado Tribes. Click the image below to view the video.
To request information regarding how to obtain a copy of the DVD, please click here.
The Fall Issue of the SOURCE is
Now Available
The Fall 2011 issue of MAP's newsletter, the SOURCE, is now available! Click on the image below to read the current issue. If you'd like to subscribe to receive an electronic copy of future issues via e-mail, click here.
MAP Needs Your Support!
The benefits of adequate water and wastewater infrastructure in rural communities are numerous, and due to potential funding cuts to the programs through which we receive federal funding, MAP's ability to provide technical assistance to those communities is in jeopardy. Please click on the link to sign the 2012 Community Support letter to help ensure that the programs we compete for are fully funded to allow us to continue to improve the quality of life in rural America.
Baucus states White House Rural Council should considerably
help communities
Senator Max Baucus of Montana recently stated he approves of the intentions of the recently formed White House Rural Council (WHRC), saying it should create jobs for rural residents and help businesses grow. Click here for full story...
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Finding Solutions,
Revitalizing Rural Communities
To motorists speeding by on the interstate or state highway, small towns may look idyllic. Yet many communities and tribal nations face seemingly overwhelming challenges and few resources to overcome them. However, through individualized support from Midwest Assistance Program, Inc., they find the solutions that will help revitalize their communities.
Welcome to Midwest Assistance Program’s Web site. It’s been designed
to provide you with the information, programs, services and support you
need to find solutions to your community’s challenges.
Our mission
Midwest Assistance Program, Inc., is dedicated to helping rural communities and tribal nations improve their environment, quality of life and achieve self-sustainability.
For resources and programs specific to your state, click on the map. For resources and programs specific to tribal nations, click here.