A crucial piece of President Biden's domestic agenda hung in the balance Thursday, as Democratic leaders moved toward a planned House vote on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that many progressive Democrats have threatened to oppose. Congress did appear poised to avert a government shutdown, with the Senate and then the House expected to easily approve a measure extending government funding through Dec. 3.

On September 27, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a Notice Regarding Applications for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The notice provides information regarding the requirements and timeline for applications and pertains to funding for both Capital Programs and Technical Assistance. Key takeaways are noted on CDFA's SSBCI Fact Sheet and FAQs. CDFA members can join the next SSBCI Coalition meeting for free and learn more about the implications of this notice.

The food system is often perceived by lenders as loosely defined and fragmented, contributing to perceptions that food and agricultural businesses are too risky for traditional loan programs. In this installment of the CDFA Food Systems Finance Webinar Series, panelists will discuss the real and perceived risks of lending in this sector and share financing solutions their organizations have developed to invest in local food-related businesses and projects.

GREEN Charter Schools is using a $50.25 million bond issue through the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority (JEDA) to refinance investments in its first two campuses, acquire one of the leased campuses, and open two new facilities. GREEN Charter Schools offer the only schools of their kind in the Southeast that specialize in engineering and renewable energy education.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is working to build a Culture of Health where everyone in America has a fair and just opportunity to live the healthiest life possible. Park equity is a key component of this vision. This call for proposals seeks especially small and mid-sized urban communities most impacted by park and green space inequities to participate in People, Parks, and Power: A National Initiative for Green Space, Health Equity, and Racial Justice.

The Alabama Legislature recently extended the Alabama historic rehabilitation tax credit to 2027. The $200 million program allocates a 25% tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs to a maximum of $5 million for approved projects. The program extension will continue to energize development in Birmingham at a pivotal time for commercial developers.

On Wednesday, September 15, 2021, the House Committee on Ways and Means advanced the infrastructure bill (also called the Build Back Better Act). Of particular interest to the public finance market are Subtitles F and G, which are Infrastructure Financing and Community Development, and Green Energy, respectively. The legislation includes dozens of development finance provisions related to bonds, tax credits, and housing. 

Barron Shaw was alarmed when he learned in 2017 that a company called Transource wanted to build a new electric transmission line through his property. The planned route would have cut through Shaw's stands of peach trees. Shaw joined a group of landowners to fight the project. They settled with Transource in 2019, but earlier this year, Pennsylvania's utility regulator denied the entire project.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) awarded more than $10.8 million in grants to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), through the fiscal year (FY) 2021 round of the Small Dollar Loan Program (SDL Program), to help expand consumer access to financial institutions by providing alternatives to high cost small dollar lending.

Congress faces an early autumn confluence of deadlines this week, with action necessary to head off a federal government shutdown and to consider an infrastructure bill that includes billions of dollars for drinking water priorities, according to the Association of Metropolitan Agencies (AMWA). Up first this week is H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a bipartisan infrastructure package that won Senate approval in August. The bill includes $550 billion in new infrastructure spending over five years, including nearly $50 billion for drinking water programs. The package also carries the text of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act, an AMWA-backed bill that would authorize new programs for drinking water infrastructure climate resilience and low-income water ratepayer assistance.

The Decent, Affordable, Safe Housing for All (DASH) Act was introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chair Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon. Among the bill's provisions are: lowering the private activity bond financing threshold from 50% to 25%; an expansion of the 9% low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC); basis boost provisions targeting extremely low-income households, rural and Native American communities; and the creation of 5% and 2% middle-incoming housing tax credits (MIHTCs).

MWCDP is seeking an impassioned, motivated Business Services Director with the potential to become our Executive Director within 24-36 months. The selected candidate can expect immediate, substantial organizational investment in their professional development.

St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) is requesting statements of qualification from financial consulting or advisory firms wishing to be selected for a "short list." SLDC and its affiliated agencies may procure services relating to incentives associated with real estate and business development proposals, implementation of social and economic justice concepts through economic development and capital financing projects, and to render assistance in the preparation and marketing of debt obligations.

Invest Atlanta and Atlanta Emerging Markets (AEMI) are seeking a strategic Program Specialist to manage all aspects of AEMI's innovative community development financing programs. You'll help us support Atlanta's social-impact organizations and non-profits by leading our data collection and reporting efforts, serving as a relationship manager with borrowers, building new loan programs, assisting with marketing and communication, and managing the administration of the organization.

Invest Atlanta is seeking a new Assistant Director of Data Operations who will be reporting to the Vice President of Marketing and Communications. The individual in the role will be responsible for creating, deploying, measuring, and optimizing the organization's unified data strategy, working in collaboration with multiple departments and key leaders across the organization, and providing ongoing support to teams seeking to integrate data driven tools, processes, and knowledge into their work.

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This notice provides information regarding the requirements and timeline for applications for SSBCI funding. As described below, applications for SSBCI capital programs must be initiated by December 11, 2021, and be completed by February 11, 2022; applications for SSBCI technical assistance are due by March 31, 2022.

Many economic development organizations (EDOs) have embraced the mission to support entrepreneurial firms in their communities. EDOs engage in their entrepreneurial ecosystems, in part, by providing resources, sometimes in the form of business incentives. The purpose of this report is to provide practitioners and policymakers with insights regarding the use of these incentives and guidance for offering incentives to entrepreneurial firms.

Together, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development mission area have developed this Joint Resource Guide to further our commitment to supporting rural families by expanding childcare facilities.

Novogradac conducted an analysis of the private activity bond (PAB) financed by test for low income housing tax credits (LIHTCs). The analysis determined that lowering the financed by test for PAB test from the current law threshold of 50 percent to 40 percent would "free" nearly $37.5 billion in PAB cap over 2021-30 that could be allocated for more affordable rental housing or other PAB-eligible uses.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) published a Fact Sheet about its proposed Concepts Statement on notes to financial statements. The public comment period for the Revised Exposure Draft ends October 15, 2021.

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