Scholarships are available to attend CDFA Virtual Summer School, which will feature will seven different training courses from August 2 - 12. Topics will include the Fundamentals of Economic Development Finance, Bond Finance, Housing Finance, Infrastructure Finance, Public-Private Partnership (P3) Finance, Revolving Loan Funds, and Tax Credit Finance. Apply for a scholarship today!

More than $18 million in facility improvements for nine Chicago parks will be made possible through Tax Increment Financing (TIF) proposals introduced to City Council today by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The financing will help the Chicago Park District to make upgrades that reinforce the parks' collective roles as community anchors.

From online lending to locavesting, there are a variety of financial technologies - or "fintech" - that can bring capital to small food businesses and invest in communities as they restore their local food system. In this installment of the CDFA Food Systems Finance Webinar Series, we will explore how tech innovations are increasing access to financing for food-related businesses and projects.

Governor Cuomo of NY announced the new $25 million Legacy Cities initiative, an effort to eradicate vacant properties in concentrated neighborhoods in Upstate New York and transform blighted structures into newly renovated, move-in-ready homes. The homes expand affordable homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents, specifically first-time buyers, and households of color.

Before it expired, the federal Brownfield Tax Incentive allowed a party who voluntarily investigated and remediated contaminated property to deduct its cleanup costs in the year incurred on their federal income tax return. Expensing remediation costs and spreading out the deduction over ten years was a powerful incentive for private investment in the economic revitalization of brownfields.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that USDA is investing $185 million to equip, rebuild, and modernize essential services in rural areas of 32 states through the USDA Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. The investments will benefit 3 million rural residents.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill to invest $2.2 billion of federal COVID-19 relief funding to support the recovery of individuals, families, and businesses struggling with the effects of the pandemic. In addition to the money for food and housing, funding is provided to help local governments continue providing essential services and sends disaster relief dollars directly to counties, and cities, and hospitals for their COVID vaccination efforts.

The U.S. Senate passed the Growing Climate Solutions Act, legislation that will help farmers, ranchers, and foresters understand and access carbon markets, helping the environment and boosting farm income at the same time. The bi-partisan legislation helps producers to generate and sell carbon credits by setting up a third-party certification process through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Since the first U.S. green bank was established by Connecticut lawmakers in 2011, another 21 have opened in 16 states and 21 other states are seeking to emanate the success of such programs. But this patchwork of lenders cannot meet the need for clean energy financing today — much less mobilize billions from the private sector to help transition the economy to net-zero emissions, green bank officials say.

The Atoka City Industrial Development Authority (ACIDA) is seeking development proposals (Proposals) from qualified firms (Developers) for the opportunity to purchase and develop City-owned property on 6th Street. These homes are to meet the needs of middle-income earners with combined household incomes of $100,000 to $160,000 per year (individually $50k - $80k). ACIDA recommends the homes not have more than a $30,000 price variance.

This position will lead department efforts in the creation and processing of statewide program applications in an accurate, effective and productive manner. It will also assist management with the development and implementation of proactive small women, minority, veteran, business enterprises (SWMVBE) inclusion initiatives.

The Director of Small Business Services is responsible for overseeing the implementation of strategies and programs focused on small, women, minority and veteran-owned businesses. This position also manages outreach and products targeted to the segment, provides support to key urban communities, identifies business opportunities, and utilizes market information to inform management of new product/service development and administer those programs effectively.

This position supervises the department's Small Business Services staff related to lending activities, manages outreach, programs, relationships, and resources within the department. This position will also ensure program implementation and department strategies are focused on effectively serving small, women, minority and veteran-owned businesses, collects market data to identify gaps in services, and more.

Missouri Development Finance Board (MDFB) is soliciting resumes for a new Executive Director. MDFB's next Executive Director must have a strong background in economic development with a track record of successfully navigating complex economic development projects to completion, strong financial acumen with previous experience working with tax credits, excellent communication skills, the ability to work well with a diverse group of external stakeholders in Missouri and beyond, and the ability to effectively manage a talented staff of committed professionals.

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This CDBG-CV Broadband Quick Guide summarizes some of the ways Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CDBG-CV) grantees can help narrow the digital divide through the provision of broadband infrastructure and services to communities in need due to the coronavirus. The Guidebook describes and provides examples of how CDBG and CDBG-CV funds can be used for eligible activities to support broadband access.

Through data analysis supported by stakeholder interviews and case studies, this research from the National League of Cities identifies factors that support local engagement in regional economies, how these factors vary for urban and rural places, and whether the benefits of economic connectivity are equitably distributed among places and people in regions.

The federal Brownfields Tax Incentive was established by Congress in 1997 and was in place for 14 years but was not renewed by Congress in 2012. The report sponsors are concerned that there was insufficient information about the outstanding success of this program in promoting economic development and cleanup of vacant and abandoned former industrial properties and that this may have contributed to the Congressional decision to discontinue the program. The report is aimed toward filling that information gap.

This research from Fitch Ratings examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated housing affordability. Issues that led to the persistent housing unaffordability preceded COVID-19. The pandemic caused an economic contraction felt among millions of Americans of many economic strata, and housing insecurity has only worsened for the most vulnerable.

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