Partners for Rural Transformation

Our partner Communities Unlimited recently launched the Rural Broadband Institute to help close the connectivity gap in rural communities across the South through technical assistance, research, training, and policy advocacy.

Since 2022, CU’s broadband team has been working to expand access to reliable high-speed internet for millions of Americans in rural areas across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Alabama, where the need remains especially high.

Rural communities across the South have been waiting for connectivity long enough.

Today, Communities Unlimited launches the Rural Broadband Institute — a center dedicated to closing the connectivity gap through technical assistance, research, training, and policy advocacy. Built on three years of on-the-ground work and 80+ community broadband plans, the RBI gives that work a permanent home.

https://communitiesu.org/blog/2026/05/20/connected-futures/

Partners for Rural Transformation (PRT) released its policy framework on Tuesday, including four priorities to unlock economic opportunity and address decades of underinvestment in rural and Native communities facing persistent poverty across the country.

The framework elevates public policies and private frameworks that encourage, incentivize, and increase investment into rural and Native communities facing persistent poverty while building local capacity.

Read the full press release and framework here: https://www.ruraltransformation.org/blog/prt-launches-policy-framework/

Partners for Rural Transformation and FICO have partnered to release a credit education webinar series geared toward reaching nonprofit lenders in rural America. The webinar series aims to improve credit access in underserved rural communities.

Click the link below to check out our full press release and watch the on-demand webinars - https://www.ruraltransformation.org/blog/prt-and-fico-to-release-credit-education-webinar-series/

Emily Burleson and Kelly Humrichouser represented Partners for Rural Transformation at BARHII’s three-day convening in Asheville, NC, focused on climate resilience, anti-displacement strategies, and community development.

Throughout the convening, participants emphasized that effective solutions must begin locally, reflect community priorities, and be supported by stronger coordination and long-term investment.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside partners, practitioners, and funders working to strengthen communities.

PRT recently released a new case study on DreamBuild, an innovative modular housing model solution developed by cdcb that’s helping expand homeownership in rural communities.

What started in South Texas is now scaling into Arkansas and beyond, where PRT Partners are adapting the model to fit local needs, workforce, and regulations while keeping the core approach of putting community first intact.

It’s a powerful example of what it looks like to move from a single solution to a replicable, community-driven model that builds both housing and local industry.

Read the full Press Release and Case Study here:
https://www.ruraltransformation.org/case-study/case-study-a-solution-to-rural-americas-housing-crisis/

Our partner, Oweesta Corporation, is hosting a webinar with Mission Driven Finance and Huurav Energy on Energy financing models that help Tribal Nations protect ownership, sovereignty, and long-term community benefit.

📅 March 17, 2026
🕖 7:00 AM Hawaiʻi | 10:00 AM Pacific | 1:00 PM Eastern

Energy sovereignty starts with financing.

Join .corp & Huurav Energy for a live conversation on how Tribal Nations can finance energy and infrastructure projects while protecting ownership, sovereignty, and long-term community benefit.

📅 March 17, 2026
🕖 7 AM Hawaiʻi | 10 AM Pacific | 1 PM Eastern

Join us this Thursday, March 12, at 3 PM ET to explore concrete Opportunity Zone recommendations that states can act on NOW. We'll share actionable strategies for governors, state policymakers, regional development hubs, and local nonprofit leaders to strengthen and expand rural investment.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XxQxsGCjSZqGeOMHD1Fflg?fbclid=IwY2xjawQb6PlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFCcjlmTHlNa3lXY2J4QU52c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnubjY8cBeflTqj4KEPGaLk-L8kFzd2I6L9ZdQl94iCAj1n_fgV_ByPIyes0_aem_8a_KU2Biu0glYSltz3W8ug #/registration

Speakers for this event include PRT's Emily Burleson, MSW, Senior Manager, Advocacy & Research; Diane Standaert, Senior Policy Advisor at Hope Policy Institute; and Seth Leonard, Program Manager at the Center for Rural Multifamily Preservation, Housing Assistance Council.

National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL) recently released a policy brief on the importance of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), along with a video explaining the role CDFIs play in expanding access to capital. The video highlights Bill Bynum, CEO and Founder of Hope Credit Union and PRT partner, speaking at the November 2025 NAAHL & CAHL Policy and Practice Conference. By combining deep local expertise with partnerships from large lenders and targeted federal tools, CDFIs finance affordable housing, small businesses, community infrastructure, and disaster recovery across urban, rural, and Tribal communities nationwide.

CDFIs Explained: Leveraging Private Capital for Public Good Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

PRT, the Housing Assistance Council, and Hope Policy Institute are releasing recommendations to help states secure Opportunity Zone 2.0 designations and drive real investment in rural America.

Join us for a webinar on March 12 at 3 p.m. ET to walk through the guide and what it means for state policymakers, regional development leaders, and rural nonprofits.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XxQxsGCjSZqGeOMHD1Fflg #/registration

The Partners for Rural Transformation (PRT) recently released its annual Year in Review, reflecting on 2025 and looking forward to what the Partnership will accomplish in the new year.

In 2025, across our Partners, we provided more than $809 million in loans to rural communities nationwide, and nearly 75 percent of all loans went to low-income borrowers. This included more than $290 million into persistent poverty communities that face discrimination, extractive economies, and chronic disinvestment.

Learn more here: https://www.ruraltransformation.org/blog/prt-releases-2025-a-year-in-review/