West Virginia is set to receive $7.7 million in American Rescue Act grants to aid in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo made the announcement in a May 17 news release, noting the funds come from a Department of Economic Development Administration grant funded by the American Rescue Plan and EDA’s $300 million Coal Communities Commitment.
“President Biden is committed to providing communities with the resources they need to recover from the pandemic and build a better America in the process,” Raimondo said in the release. “These EDA investments will provide for water infrastructure upgrades and the development of a high-speed internet implementation plan in support of job creation and business development.”
The EDA’s Economic Adjustment Assistance program makes $500 million in such grants available to American communities. As one of EDA’s most flexible program, grants made under the program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs.
“This $7.7 million in grant funding will be a great help to these southern West Virginia communities in so many ways,” said Governor Jim Justice in the release. “Between much-needed water system improvements and broadband expansion, these projects will make everyday life better for countless West Virginians, while also creating more than 160 new jobs and retaining hundreds more in the process. I can never thank the EDA enough for their continued commitment to our great state.”
“The Economic Development Administration is dedicated to working with communities to support their locally-driven strategies to recover and rebuild from the pandemic,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo in the release. “The projects announced today will provide critical infrastructure upgrades and access to high-speed internet services, supporting job growth and economic diversity in West Virginia.”
