Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted on Thursday announced new details on the Appalachian Community Grant Program, which will infuse $500 million into Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region to revitalize communities and stimulate transformational change.

Appalachian counties in east central Ohio include Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull, among others. The program contains:

l An infrastructure component, such as main street or downtown redevelopment, improvements to multi-community connecting trails, significant outdoor community space, links to community arts, history and culture, or access to telemedicine services;

l A health care component, such as investments in school or community-based services to address children’s physical and behavioral health needs or plans to address the ongoing challenges of substance use disorder in the region;

l A workforce component, such as public-private partnerships designed to build and coordinate technical, educational, clinical and workforce infrastructure.

The Governor’s Office of Appalachia released detailed guidelines for the program, including project requirements, eligibility and the timeline for awards at development.ohio.gov/AppalachianCommunity

Grant. The office will host a webinar at 1 p.m. Tuesday to present the guidelines in detail and allow interested parties to ask questions.

“There has never been a better time to live in Ohio, and we’re making sure that our Appalachian communities also experience the economic growth that we’re seeing across the state,” DeWine said. “This half-a-billion-dollar investment, which is long overdue, is an investment in the future of Appalachia and the future of each and every Ohioan who calls this region home.”

State Sen. Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, in Ashtabula County, represents a portion of Trumbull County. She said she is pleased with the release of details on this “major effort to improve the quality of life for the people of Appalachia in Ohio.”

“This is a fantastic investment in our communities that may lack the resources to bring innovative ideas to life,” O’Brien said. “The people of Appalachia know best what obstacles and community challenges they face, and these grant funds will help bridge the gap between ideas and action.”

As part of this program, up to $30 million will support project planning and technical assistance, and the remaining $470 million will be awarded to implement development projects. The Governor’s Office of Appalachia will begin accepting grant applications Nov. 2.

The $500-million Appalachian Community Grant Program is part of DeWine’s “OhioBuilds – Small Communities, Big Impact – A Plan for Appalachia.” The program specifically will support transformational projects in Ohio’s Appalachian communities that focus on infrastructure development, physical and behavioral health and workforce development.

“There are people and communities with big ideas across Appalachia, but they have lacked the resources to make those dreams come true. These grants aim to help make more of those dreams a reality,” Husted said. “Improving education, healthcare, and quality of life, these grants will support local solutions in these critical areas.”

As part of this program, up to $30 million will support project planning and technical assistance, and the remaining $470 million will be awarded to implement development projects.

The Appalachian Community Grant Program was created with the support of the Ohio General Assembly and is funded as part of House Bill 377. Guidelines for the grant program were developed in coordination with members of the Legislature and numerous stakeholders.

“The great thing about this program is it empowers local leaders to get creative and craft plans that will drive real, meaningful change at the grassroots level,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development.

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