HUD's Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development (ORHED) invites you to take part in their next Peer-to-Peer conference call.  Scheduled for October 09, 2014 this call will offer participants the opportunity to learn about the Appalachian Economic Development Initiative's (AEDI) Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).

The Appalachian Economic Development Initiative (AEDI) is a collaborative effort among three federal agencies – the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of the Treasury – Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), and the Department of Agriculture – Rural Development (USDA-RD).

The AEDI's goal is to increase access to capital for business lending and economic development in the chronically underserved and undercapitalized Appalachia Region. Specifically, it will provide direct investment and technical assistance to State community and economic development agencies that apply on behalf of local rural nonprofit organizations or community development corporations that focus on small business development to benefit the residents of the Appalachia Region.

HUD, CDFI fund, and USDA-RD leaders have all identified the lack of capacity among organizations serving the Delta and Appalachian areas and similar persistent poverty communities as a limiting factor in the effectiveness of federal programs.  Inconsistent availability of limited public funding in any one region or community plays a role in this, because organizations specializing in affordable housing, small business support, and community facilities cannot sustain themselves and grow.  The partnering agencies recognize that the targeted population and communities receive insufficient services because they lack organizations with the capacity to effectively respond to community needs.  Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about the AEDI program.

Join HUD's Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development (ORHED), CDFI Fund, and USDA-RD staff as they engage in an open forum about AEDI.  Speakers will include:

Valerie G. Piper, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development;

Jackie L. Williams, Ph.D., Moderator, Director, Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development, Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development;

Mark Kudlowitz, Associate Program Manager, CDFI Fund, U.S. Department of Treasury;

Lillian Salerno, Administrator, Rural Business Cooperative Service (RBS), Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Format of the call: Call-in instructions and additional materials will be emailed to participants on October 08, 2014 for the Appalachian Economic Development Initiative call.  The 60 minute call will include presentations and a Q&A session. Please RSVP by email to: rhed@hud.gov no later than 10 a.m. EDT on October 08, 2014. Please include your name and organization. If you have questions, call 1-877-RURAL-26 (1-877-787-2526).