b'RCACs advocacy team supported Montanas new housing loan program for developers that build low-income housing. The legislation passed in 2019 to create a new workforce housing loan program, and Gov. Steve Bullock signed it into law on May 10.RCACs staff worked with Californias delegation to the U.S. Congress to ensure that Paradise, California would be eligible for critical USDA funding to rebuild after the devastating 2018 Camp Fire.Representatives from RCACs Government Affairs and Rural Policy (GARP) team attend an annual fly-in to Washington D.C. to meet with legislators and advocate for funds to support rural programs. The weeklong trip takes months of preparation as staff prepares project case studies and researches funding needs. In FY19, the fly-in team met with nearly 60 Congressional offices to share success stories and ask for continued support for federal programs that benefit rural communities and was successful in securing level or increased funding for programs included in our request.In one of its earliest advocacy achievements, RCAC led the Drinking Water Advocates Coalition to establish a $10 million Drinking Water for Schools Grant Program (DWFS) in the 2016 California state budget. The group se-cured an additional $6.8 million in the 2018-19 California state budget for the DWFS. By March 2019, RCAC helped 100 schools in 33 school districts apply for $3.6 million in funding.In recognition of RCACs expertise, RCAC staff members have been invited to participate on a variety of state and federal advisory groups including the Utah Affordable Housing Commission, EPAs National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, Washingtons Interagency Multijurisdictional System Im-provement Group and Californias County Drought Advisory Group.RCACs GARP team worked with partners to establish a new California com-munity development financial institution (CDFI) coalition called the Cali-fornia Coalition for Community Investment (CCCI). The coalition supports state-level advocacy and education to lawmakers on the role of CDFIs and the impact they have on transforming communities across California. CCCI members represent affordable housing lenders, small business lending, housing trust funds, credit unions and microloan lenders.'