On Tuesday, Governor Kay Ivey and the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) announced more than $1 million in new DRA investments to strengthen Alabama’s workforce, infrastructure, and economy. The DRA hopes to support both public and private partnerships, ultimately bringing an additional $7.1 million in new investment to the Yellowhammer State.
“The Delta Regional Authority is an essential partner to Alabama in helping us meet the needs of the most rural parts of our state,” Governor Ivey said in a press release. “By investing more than $1 million in our state, DRA is helping rural communities strengthen their infrastructure, improve economic opportunities, and increase access to important cultural enhancements.”
The funding was made possible through the DRA’s States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP), the agency’s main federal funding program that assists states with investments in public infrastructure, transportation, workforce development, and small business projects. The DRA was created by Congress in 2000 to assist states with various economic needs. According to Ivey’s press release:
“To date, the DRA’s SEDAP investments, together with its state and local partners, have leveraged more than $3.7 billion in public and private investment into local small business owners, entrepreneurs, workers, and infrastructure development projects. These investments have helped create or retain more than 37,000 jobs, trained more than 7,300 workers for 21st Century jobs and provided water and sewer service to more than 66,000 residents since DRA was established.”
“This new funding will continue to spur economic growth and opportunities in rural Alabama,” U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby said. “Monroeville, Carrolton, Tuskegee, Camden, Selma, and Perry County, as well as the entire state, will benefit from these investments, and I am grateful for the partnership Alabama continues to have with the DRA.”
Alabama is one of eight states to receive investments from the DRA. The agency’s total investments in the Alabama Black Belt and Mississippi River Delta Region will top $20 million in 2017. Combined with the agency’s public and private partners, total investments in the region will be $231.6 million.
To see a complete list of the DRA’s Alabama investments, visit the Governor’s full press release here.
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