This has been a difficult year for the Iron Range, with layoffs at Hibbing Taconite and Minorca Mine and steep budget deficits at area schools. And now, a federal program that has a proven track record of building economic prosperity in rural areas is threatened.

The administration of President Donald Trump recently escalated its ongoing assaults on community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, by terminating all staff in the Treasury Department’s CDFI Fund, effective Dec. 13. If carried out, this move threatens to shut down vital programs like the New Markets Tax Credit, capital assistance, and CDFI certification, programs that empower underserved communities and fuel small-business growth.

There are over 40 CDFIs in Minnesota, including the Entrepreneur Fund and the Northland

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