The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC) is a federal-state partnership authorized by Congress in the 2008 Food, Conservation, and Energy Act ( the Farm Bill ) to promote and encourage economic development in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and all of Florida. SCRC invests in projects that support basic infrastructure, business development, natural resource preservation and workforce development. SCRC is committed to supporting job creation, building communities and improving the lives of those who reside in the 428 counties of the seven-state region.
SCRC will make $20 million[1] in grant funds available for awards through the competitive State Economic and Infrastructure Development (SEID) Grant Program. The SEID Grant program includes funding from SCRC's annual appropriations and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). SCRC's authorizing statute, 40 U.S.C., Subtitle V, 15501 (b)(c)(d), indicates how much and where grant funds must be spent. At least 50% of grant funds must be allocated to distressed counties and isolated areas of distress. At least 40% of grant funds must be allocated to infrastructure projects tackling basic public infrastructure, telecommunications and transportation. Infrastructure projects and goals are outlined in the BIL. Click here to access BIL information.
The SEID program is SCRC's flagship grant program designed to encourage and support economic and infrastructure development activities across the Southeast Crescent region. In FY 2023, the inaugural grant program will invest $20 million in projects that align with the priorities identified in the authorizing statute, Five-Year Strategic Plan and State Economic Development Plans. Each state's grant allocation is calculated via a formula using percentages of equal distribution, total population in the region, total distressed population and distressed area in square miles.
SCRC States, Counties, and County Equivalents
Alabama (13 counties)
Autauga, Baldwin, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Mobile, Montgomery County, Pike
Florida (67 counties)
*Florida has opted out of the FY
2023 SEID Grant Program cycle.
Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
Georgia (122 counties)
Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Calhoun, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Clarke, Clay, Clayton, Clinch, Cobb, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, De Kalb, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Fayette, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Grady, Greene, Hancock, Harris, Henry, Houston, Irwin, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Macon, Marion, McDuffie, McIntosh, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Muscogee, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Peach, Pierce, Pike, Pulaski, Putnam, Quitman, Randolph, Richmond, Rockdale, Schley, Screven, Seminole, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Troup, Turner, Twiggs, Upson, Walton, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, Worth
Mississippi (18 counties)
Clarke, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jones, Lamar, Lauderdale, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Pearl River, Perry, Scott, Stone, Wayne
North Carolina (69 counties)
Alamance, Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Martin, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson
South Carolina (39 counties)
Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenwood, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, Sumter, Williamsburg, York
Virginia (100 counties and county equivalents)
Accomack, Albemarle, Alexandria city, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bedford, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Charles City, Charlotte, Charlottesville city, Chesapeake city, Chesterfield, Clarke, Colonial Heights city, Culpeper, Cumberland, Danville city, Dinwiddie, Emporia city, Essex, Fairfax, Fairfax city, Falls Church city, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Franklin, Franklin city, Frederick, Fredericksburg city, Gloucester, Goochland, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hampton city, Hanover, Harrisonburg city, Henrico, Hopewell city, Isle of Wight, James City, King And Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Lynchburg city, Madison, Manassas city, Manassas Park city, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News city, Norfolk city, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Petersburg city, Pittsylvania, Poquoson city, Portsmouth city, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Richmond city, Roanoke, Roanoke city, Rockingham, Salem city, Shenandoah, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Staunton city, Suffolk city, Surry, Sussex, Virginia Beach city, Warren, Waynesboro city, Westmoreland, Williamsburg city, Winchester city, York
SCRC annually assesses levels of distress throughout the region as dictated by the authorizing statute, Section 40 U.S.C., Subtitle V, 15702, which identifies and defines three economic designations Distressed, Transitional, and Attainment. SCRC uses an index-based county economic classification system to identify the economic status of each county using three indicators the three-year average unemployment rate, per capita market income and poverty rate. The results are summed and averaged to create a composite index value for each county. The authorizing statute and a full list of SCRC counties/county equivalents by economic designation can be found on scrc.gov.
Additionally, Section 40 U.S.C., Subtitle V, 15702 directs SCRC to identify Isolated Areas of Distress defined as areas within attainment counties with high rates of poverty, unemployment and outmigration. To identify Isolated Areas of Distress, SCRC pulled Census tracts and assessed them using three variables those at or above the U.S. median poverty rate of 12.6%, those below the U.S. median household income of $46,244 and those with a designation as a historically-disadvantaged community. All three variables must be met. A full list of Isolated Areas of Distress can be found on scrc.gov.
SCRC Five-Year Strategic Goals
SCRC investments are directed by the authorizing statute and the Five-Year Strategic Plan, demonstrating SCRC's commitment to advancing local economies, infrastructure, business expansion, job creation and retention. Six goals from the Five-Year Strategic Plan guide SEID funding that support programs and/or projects in the region:
1) Invest in Critical Infrastructure
1.1 Expand basic water and sewer infrastructure to be more resilient
1.2 Expand and improve access to affordable and reliable digital infrastructure
1.3 Support transportation infrastructure systems and transit services
2) Improve Health and Support Services Access and Outcomes
2.1 Support initiatives that expand access to affordable, high-quality healthcare and services that support mental and physical health
2.2 Provide support to build capacity for navigating and accessing services
3) Strengthen Workforce Capacity
3.1 Promote workforce development programs for local, high-demand job opportunities
3.2 Increase enrollment and completion of critical training programs
4) Foster Entrepreneurial and Business Development Activities
4.1 Support the expansion of access to business capital to support innovation, entrepreneurship and economic equity
4.2 Invest in programs and business opportunities that address critical challenges facing communities while attracting and retain talent
5) Expand Affordable Housing Stock and Access
5.1 Increase access to wrap-around services and legal assistance to resolve title, heirship, land tenure and eviction issues
5.2 Support enrollment in and access to homebuyer programs
5.3 Invest in efforts to improve the affordability and availability of quality housing across the region
6) Promote Environmental, Conservation, Preservation, and Access
6.1 Invest in air, water and soil clean-up efforts that impact historically disadvantaged communities
6.2 Preserve and expand access to natural resources to increase outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities
In addition to alignment with the authorizing statute and Five-Year Strategic Plan, applicants must ensure projects align with priorities outlined in the State Economic and Development Plan and Strategy Statement of the state(s) where the project will be implemented. These plans prioritize SCRC economic development activities for each state. State plans can be accessed on scrc.gov.
[1] Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, PL. 117-328 ($10 million); Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, PL. 117-328 ($5 million); Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, 2021, PL. 117- 58 ($5 million).
