Salt Lake City, Utah — The Utah Capacity Building Collaborative (UCBC), a Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) initiative kicked off its first Network Training in Salt Lake City March 14 – 15. Through the initiative, RCAC staff provide technical support to four rural agencies to build organizational capacity and provide affordable housing development training coupled with direct operating support.

“I found the training valuable, with many ‘ah-ha’ moments,” one participant said after the training. “I especially appreciated the financial technical assistance, nonprofit life cycle training and sharing ongoing projects.”

Other participants thought the board development training was most valuable. Ongoing technical assistance focuses on working with project proformas. A second training meeting is planned for the fall.

The UCBC is a two-year initiative that will increase affordable housing development in Grand, Emery and Tooele counties. The participating agencies include Epicenter in Green River, Goshute Housing Authority in Ibapah and Community Rebuilds and Housing Authority of Southeastern Utah both in Moab.

Epicenter completed construction of the low-cost Frontier House, a 708-square-foot residence and model for aging trailer replacement, and is currently in the predevelopment process for Riverside Commons, a multifamily project for low- and very low-income residents. RCAC worked alongside Epicenter to complete an early feasibility study for the project.  Community Rebuilds learned how to use a project proforma to evaluate project feasibility. Goshute Housing Authority plans to acquire a site to develop single family rental units for Native American families in Wendover, and Housing Authority of Southeastern Utah proposes to submit a Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) application for multifamily units serving low- and very low-income seniors.

The collaborative’s funding comes from both private and public sources, including the Olene Walker Housing Trust Fund; American Express; Morgan Stanley Bank; Ally Bank; CIT Bank and Zions Bank.

Founded in 1978, RCAC provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions. RCAC serves rural communities in 13 western states and the Pacific islands. RCAC provides a broad range of community and economic development services and lending to support local efforts. To find out more about RCAC visit www.rcac.org.

Carol Cohen, RCAC regional manager
(801) 505-8412
ccohen@rcac.org