In this issue:

We asked our staff to share their favorite things about this time of year. Warm wishes from RCAC!

Story highlights from 2022

Wildflower Boutique Motel: RCAC Loan Fund financing supports one-of-a-kind roadside inn

About three hours north of San Francisco along California’s salt-misted, serpentine Highway One lies Point Arena, a Mendocino County town of 500 that is among the smallest incorporated communities in the state. Surrounded by blooming coastal prairies, towering bluffs and ancient Douglas fir, cypress and redwood groves, the town contains some of the most breathtaking natural beauty in the American West. Read more

Flattening the impact – How RCAC’s RELieF program helped sustain a freelance journalist during the pandemic

Hawaii-based advocacy journalist Libby Leonard was leaning into her new career as a freelancer until the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly derailed her career, her finances, and seemingly her entire life. Rural Community Assistance Corporation’s (RCAC) Re-Emerging Loan Fund (RELieF) program ensured that she overcame the crisis and could continue writing powerful, community-centered stories for a global audience. Read more

San Benito County Community Services Development Corporation

Hollister is a city with a majority-Latino population of approximately 40,000 in San Benito County, California. Agribusiness and food processing has historically been central to the local economy. The city belongs to the greater Monterey Bay Area and is serviced by California highways in all directions. Hollister has grown rapidly in the past decade and transformed into a bedroom community for residents who work in the Bay Area or remotely, a trend intensified by the onset of COVID-19. A stark imbalance in supply and demand has further diminished affordability in housing markets. Read more

Trouble in Apple Country: How RCAC Helped a Family Overcome Nitrate-Laden Well Water

If you’ve traveled through the Cascade Mountain foothills northeast of Seattle, there’s a good chance that you passed through Leavenworth, a city in Chelan County known for its lush alpine landscape and a Bavarian theme that draws in travelers from both near and far. Read more

Affordable Housing Loan Program

RCAC financing helps developers build single and multifamily affordable housing units for low-income families. RCAC’s housing loans allow for short-term acquisition, pre-development, site development and construction of single and multifamily affordable housing. If you are interested, please download our program flyer and learn more about loan application requirements.

RCAC is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

Looking for a new and exciting career path?

Join our passionate team and make a difference in rural communities throughout the West! We work in diverse and low-income communities to increase access to affordable housing and safe drinking water, promote economic opportunity and job creation, and provide financing for community and economic development projects. Apply here!


Network News, published monthly, is a compilation of timely news, announcements and accomplishments produced for the rural development world at no cost to subscribers. We encourage correspondence and welcome contributions. Subscribe here

Chief Executive Officer: Suzanne Anarde
Executive Editor: Dawn Van Dyke, dvandyke@rcac.org
Managing Editor: Blivion Xanouvong, bxanouvong@rcac.org

Network News is funded by: RCAC’s Loan Fund and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

RCAC is the western RCAP partner.

RCAC is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.