On September 16, the Commonwealth Connect Coalition met to discuss historic news concerning the VATI program. The FY22 grant round closed on September 14. In total, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) received:
- 57 applications representing 84 localities
- $943,300,424 in requested funding
- $1,159,125,288 in matching funds
- Approximately 300,000 proposed locations served
The approval by Governor Northam and the General Assembly of an additional $700 million in state-dedicated ARPA funds will hopefully accelerate broadband build-out as the number of applications and amount of funding requested demonstrate the continued need to improve broadband access across the Commonwealth.
Staff from DHCD also provided information on the challenge process for applications submitted during this round of funding. The full presentation may be accessed here.
Upcoming Events and Deadlines
- September 27 – Utility Leverage Program Guideline Updates Released
- October 12 – Utility Leverage Program Guideline Input Session | Registration to come
- October 21 – VATI Challenges Due
- November 18 – Deadline for Challenge Rebuttals
- December 1-2 – VCTA/VACo/VML Broadband Together Conference | Learn more here
- December 3 – DHCD Notifies All Parties of Challenge Determination
- Late December – Anticipated Announcement of Awards
VACo encourages members to reach out if you have any additional questions or concerns regarding VATI or other Broadband related issues.
VACo Contacts: Jeremy R. Bennett and Joe Lerch, AICP