WCNDD is focused on matching community goals with innovative solutions. Through listening to our communities, we are able to provide them with potential funding opportunities and programs that will support them in building their ideal future. This year WCNDD worked with the City of Imperial to identify and create the vision the community saw for itself. The community pinpointed a desire to improve their city square and also determined that the housing situation in Imperial was holding back development. WCNDD analyzed these needs and selected grants that targeted these projects. Imperial’s progressive mindset and proactive preplanning allowed for quick turnaround in aligning funding opportunities with community needs. WCNDD, in partnership with the City of Imperial, applied for and received a Rural Workforce Housing Fund grant for $1,000,000, which the community matched with $500,000 of its own funds. This $1.5 million grant will fund the construction of at least five new homes in the city, creating a domino effect that will increase movement within Imperial's housing market. Additionally, with the goal of an improved city square, WCNDD wrote a Community and Civic Financing Fund grant for a downtown renovation project. The funding opportunity was awarded to the city for $562,000 and will enable the city to host events, benefit from tourism, and maintain important public amenities. WCNDD helps communities, like Imperial, continue to write their own story for the future of their town. Through the process of identifying needs, finding opportunities, and getting projects across the finish line, WCNDD is prepared to support communities in their next chapter.