26-02-2025
Nebraska nonprofit explains impact of federal funding freeze
LYONS, Neb. (KCAU) — In the wake of the Trump administration's announcement of a federal spending freeze, a Nebraska organization says it's been a crazy and stressful month as they continue to figure out when certain program funding is usable.
The Center for Rural Affairs provides financing to small businesses and communities, with some of their funding coming from federal grants and contracts. Solar for All is one of many projects Rural Affairs works with, which provides low-income homeowners with solar panels to reduce electric costs.
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'We have been working with partners, housing developers, utilities in the state for nearly two years to launch this project, and the uncertainty for the last three weeks really caused us to have to put a pause on a lot of things,' Brian DePew with the Center for Rural Affairs said.
While Solar for All funding has recently been thawed, one of the nonprofits' federal contracts was ordered to stop.
'That grant award was for helping small communities navigate federal grants for things like drinking water and wastewater systems and brownfield remediation,' DePew said. 'And as of right now, we're unsure whether we're going to be able to provide communities that we were working with on water and wastewater and brownfield remediation, ongoing assistance or not.'
The federal funding freeze has left the Center for Rural Affairs and their clients high and dry.
'This is money that was appropriated by Congress, and we actually have a contractual obligation to carry out the work just as the agencies have a contractual obligation to pay us for carrying out that work,' DePew said.
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Officials appreciate federal employees being able to keep them informed as much as possible.
'Federal agency staff, I think, have done their best to try to reach out to us, to notify us to their understanding of what is occurring,' DePew said. 'As employees have been fired, you know, there's less people at the agencies to work with us on these things.'
DePew says he's thankful some federal funding is returning and hopes to see more program funds available in the days to come.
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