RCD IM 2022-01 Clarifying Definition of Communities Served by FY 2020 RCD Grants

PURPOSE: To clarify the definition of small, low-income, rural communities in order to ensure that communities with a need for training and technical assistance to support development and/or maintenance of water and wastewater systems can be served by FY 2020 Rural Community Development (RCD) grantees under the RCD program. 

RELATED REFERENCES: Section 680(a)(3)(B) of the Community Services Block Grant Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 9921(a)(3)(B)).

BACKGROUND: The goal of the RCD program is to enhance the overall health of small, low-income, rural communities and the well-being of their residents through training and technical assistance that supports development and/or maintenance of water and wastewater systems.

The FY 2020 RCD funding opportunity announcement (FOA) narrowly defines a rural community as “a defined rural area with a population less than 2,500.” This information memorandum seeks to clarify that the populations in rural communities can exceed 2,500 people. 

Clarifying the Size of Communities That Can be Served Under RCD 

While RCD grantees provide training and technical assistance to support the development and/or maintenance of water and wastewater systems in very small rural communities, many of which have populations less than 2,500, activities under the grant may also include:

• Implementing regionalization efforts to facilitate water system consolidation or utility collaboration among multiple communities, whose combined population exceeds 2,500;
• Providing training and technical assistance to support water and wastewater systems serving Tribes and Tribal entities, whose populations exceed 2,500; or
• Serving the training and technical assistance needs of small, rural, low-income communities, whose populations exceed 2,500, when the community  does not have adequate experience or appropriately trained staff to address water needs and/or manage and maintain water systems. 

As such, the population of communities served by RCD grants may exceed 2,500, as specified in the definition of rural communities in the FY 2020 FOA, provided that the project activities continue to meet the goals and eligibility requirements of the RCD program.

Thank you for your attention to these matters. OCS looks forward to continuing to provide high quality services to OCS grantees.
 
/s/
Lynda E. Perez
Director, Division of Community Discretionary and Demonstration Programs
Office of Community Services