This week, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development awarded a $600,000 HOME fund grant and a $300,000 Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund grant to Central Nebraska Economic Development Inc. The CNED will use the $600,000 to rehabilitate twenty single family homes for families who earn at or below 80% of the area median income in Blaine, Brown, Garfield, Loup and Wheeler Counties. The CNED will use the $300,000 grant towards direct homebuyer assistance for newly constructed or existing homes, homebuyer education for a minimum of ten low and moderate income families earning at or below 100% of the area median income and for developers to purchase, rehabilitate and resell older homes throughout the program's 17 county region. CNED Inc. operates under the supervision of the Central Nebraska Economic Development District which serves the housing needs of Blaine, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Custer, Garfield, Greeley, Hamilton, Holt, Howard, Keya Paha, Loup, Merrick, Rock, Sherman, Valley and Wheeler counties.