CONTACT: Jay Tilton – (859) 208-7600
Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 – The Partners for Rural Transformation Thursday applauded the release of the bipartisan Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development (AFFORD Act).
PRT President Farah Ahmad said: “Rural communities, especially rural communities facing persistent poverty like those served by PRT, need investments that understands local realities, deploys resources efficiently, and delivers measurable results. Rural CDFIs serve this need, and the AFFORD Act will strengthen our ability reach communities that traditional financing leaves behind.”
Specifically, the AFFORD Act would strengthen rural CDFIs by:
- Providing greater oversight of the CDFI Fund and ensuring accountability and transparency.
- Jumpstarting economic development and increasing access to capital for more rural Americans.
- Unlocking more sources of liquidity and support for CDFIs to scale their activities and lending in rural communities.
Partners for Rural Transformation is a coalition of six community-rooted organizations with national reach and more than 250 years of experience in rural development. We are working to build a future where rural America is no longer defined by persistent poverty, but by opportunity so people can live, work, learn, and raise a family in the communities they call home.
Our Partnership spans some of the most diverse and underinvested regions in the country – from the Mississippi Delta to Appalachia to Native American Communities, the Deep South, The Rio Grade Valley, and beyond. We share a common history of chronic disinvestment that leads to persistent poverty and impacts health, education, and economic opportunity in the communities we call home. Learn more here.
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