A monthly update regarding the important work of RCRC's affiliated entities, providing innovative services for the benefit of rural communities.
GSFA Launches New “Assist-to-Own” Program for GSFA Member County Employees Purchasing or Refinancing a Home
Golden State Finance Authority (GSFA) is excited to announce new homebuyer assistance for GSFA Member County Employees purchasing or refinancing a home in the same county of their employment. The GSFA Member County “Assist-to-Own” Program launched on April 25th and provides down payment and closing cost assistance (up to 5.5% combined) with attractive First Mortgage interest rates.
Down payment assistance is often the biggest hurdle for homebuyers in California. GSFA homebuyer assistance is intended to help borrowers bridge this affordability gap and maybe even purchase sooner than they thought possible. Information regarding the “Assist-to-Own” Program is now available at www.gsfahome.org. GSFA will assist member counties with developing individualized marketing plans to provide education and outreach to their County constituents starting in May.
GSNR to Hold First Community Meetings in May
Golden State Natural Resources (GSNR) is taking steps to advance its first set of projects that would sustainably procure and process excess forest vegetation into a pelletized fuel source for renewable energy. The proposed projects would include the development of two processing facilities, one in the foothills of the Central Sierra Nevada Mountain range, in Tuolumne County, and one on the Modoc Plateau of Northern California, in Lassen County.
GSNR will hold community meetings in May 2022 to provide residents an opportunity to learn more about the proposed projects, economic and ecological benefits, and potential short-term impacts. A press release regarding the upcoming meetings is available here. Additional information on the projects and meetings are also available at www.goldenstatenaturalresources.com.
Golden State Connect Authority Formalizes Partnership With UTOPIA Fiber
Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) has entered a partnership with Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency (UTOPIA) Fiber to assist in the development and operation of reliable, affordable high-speed internet infrastructure in rural California. This partnership will bolster the efforts of GSCA to bridge the divide in internet access across its 38 rural member counties through the deployment of an open-access, municipal broadband fiber network. To ensure successful and efficient development and operation of such networks, GSCA has elected to partner with an organization experienced in the administration of open-access broadband infrastructure. For this reason, GSCA looked to UTOPIA Fiber, an industry leader in open access, municipal broadband and the operator of the largest open-access, municipal fiber network in the United States. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) initiating the partnership was approved by the GSCA Board of Directors on March 25 and the UTOPIA Fiber Board on April 11. See press release announcing the partnership here.
UTOPIA Fiber is an interlocal agency (equivalent of a joint power authority in California) owned by 11 Utah cities that joined together in 2002 to build, deploy, and operate a fiber-to-the-premises network to every business and household within their communities. Since 2009, UTOPIA Fiber and its affiliated organization Utah Infrastructure Agency, have designed, built, and operated nearly $400 million worth of open-access fiber projects in 19 Utah cities at no cost to taxpayers. The agency has also secured operational partnerships in Idaho and Montana to expand high-speed broadband access in parts of those states.