U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.2 Million in CARES Act Funding to Boost
Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping Louisiana Respond to Coronavirus

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $3.2 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to eight EDA Economic Development District organizations across Louisiana to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Trump Administration is eager to allocate these essential CARES Act funds and deliver on our promise to help American communities recover from the impact of COVID-19,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “I am proud of the perseverance and strength shown by our communities coast to coast throughout this pandemic, and these funds will help provide Louisiana with resources to make a swift and lasting economic comeback.”

“These investments come at a crucial time to help Louisiana’s and our nation’s economy come roaring back and provide hard-working Americans with new opportunities,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “We are pleased to make these investments in Louisiana’s EDA Economic Development Districts to help them prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus.”

“We’re grateful to the U.S. Department of Commerce for providing these funds to Louisiana at a critical time in our COVID-19 response,” said Governor John Bel Edwards. “Our planning and development districts will capitalize on these resources to stimulate recovery and employment in the tourism, oil and gas, retail, restaurant, seafood, agriculture, transportation and other sectors. By focusing on strategies to reskill our workers, expand our broadband capacity and make our communities more competitive, we can advance the work of making Louisiana more resilient.”

“Louisiana’s economy didn’t sputter on its own—government shut it down, and now it’s time to help it reopen,” said Senator John Kennedy. “Louisianians are some of the most resilient people on earth, and it’s good to see the Commerce Department recognize that by helping workers and job creators in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Houma, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans and Shreveport.”

“I applaud the Trump Administration for their continued investment in Southeast Louisiana, including these Economic Development Administration (EDA) funds to boost our economic response to the Coronavirus,” said Congressman Steve Scalise (LA-01). “These investments are critical for strengthening our workforce, creating opportunity, and supporting our recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic.”

“Rebuilding our economy and getting Americans back to work are top priorities for my office,” said Congressman Clay Higgins (LA-03). “These investments support our recovery efforts and help ensure Louisiana’s long-term economic health. We will continue working closely with President Trump’s administration and our state partners to deliver the necessary resources.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• Acadiana Planning Commission, Lafayette, Louisiana, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by providing technical assistance to business and community partners to support long-term recovery strategies.
• Coordinating & Development Corporation, Shreveport, Louisiana, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by ensuring that local business and community partners have the resources to respond to local needs and prepare for future economic disruptions.
• Capital Region Planning Commission, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by hiring additional staff to prepare a regional broadband plan to guide unserved and underserved communities to achieve readiness for expanded and improved service.
• Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development Commission, Lake Charles, Louisiana, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by enhancing electronic communication with local governments and business entities; hiring additional employees; and re-evaluating and re-prioritizing the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to effectively respond to pandemic adjustments in the oil and gas, seafood, timber, agriculture, tourism, and air and water freight transport industries.
• Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning and Development District, Alexandria, Louisiana, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by implementing economic development strategies to bolster the region’s businesses and industries.
• North Delta Regional Planning and Development District, Monroe, Louisiana, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by serving as a liaison for local, state, and federal partners in identifying economic development projects that will help speed the recovery process.
• New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, New Orleans, Louisiana, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by providing emergency response, recovery, and resilience resources; assisting local governments with defining their labor outlook; identifying new economic opportunities; and providing technical assistance to eligible entities across the New Orleans region.
• South Central Planning and Development Commission, Houma, Louisiana, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by working to create a more diverse and sustainable economy through strategic planning and implementation efforts, including those that support a more competitive and resilient workforce.

These entities, all EDA-designated Economic Development Districts (EDD), are some of the more than 850 existing, high-performing EDA EDD, University Center, Tribal, and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grant recipients invited to apply for supplemental funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

On May 7, Secretary Ross announced that EDA is accepting applications for CARES Act Recovery Assistance funding opportunities.

EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit our recently updated EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.

About author:

Joshua Manning is a Planner at SCPDC specializing in transportation and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).