A House panel narrowly passed a bill that aims to prevent metro district developers from working both sides of a financing arrangement in which they initially approve the sale of government construction bonds on a project and then purchase them for themselves. Following several hours of testimony on House Bill 22-1363, members of the  House Transportation & Local Government voted, 7-6, to send the measure to the full body for consideration.

Hotel Heron, an approximately 90,000-square-foot urban adaptive-reuse development, is set to begin construction in June 2022 now that financing has closed on the $76.5 million project. Of that total, $59.2 million is being made available by Twain Financial Partners through a mixture of sale leaseback financing and both federal and state historic tax credit equity.

The Washington State Department of Commerce has announced $17.5 million in funding for 26 projects in 11 counties that will support the development of nearly 2,100 affordable housing units throughout the state. Funds will lower the effective cost of development by about $8,000 for each housing unit. The Connecting Housing to Infrastructure program awards prioritized projects that include home ownership units as part of a community land trust, offering housing that is affordable in perpetuity.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new effort to transform the way federal agencies partner with rural places to create economic opportunity in rural America. The USDA-led Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an all-of-government program that will help rural communities access government resources and funding to create jobs, build infrastructure, and support long-term economic stability.

The need for reliable and affordable internet access has become increasingly important as the economy becomes more dependent on internet access, particularly during the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $65 billion was allotted for broadband infrastructure, and the legislation added a new qualified broadband projects category for use with the private activity bond program.

The Black Caucus Foundation of Michigan has formed a collaboration with DRI Fund, ProFinCo, and Crowdz to launch the Capital and Cash Flow Program, a $40 million initiative targeted at strengthening Black businesses with low-cost access to capital, $10 million of which is immediately available to city of Detroit contractors. Black businesses have been locked out of accessing low-cost capital, but this partnership seeks to address what has been the biggest inhibitor to growing sustainable Black businesses in public works and infrastructure projects.

Governor Ron DeSantis awarded more than $15 million to ten Florida communities through the Rural Infrastructure Fund and the Community Development Block Grant – CV program. When the review of the state's budget is complete, $600,000 will be committed through the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to support the construction of ADA compliant facilities at the Joe Budd Youth Conservation Center Shooting Complex in Gadsden County.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing nearly $800 million in climate-smart infrastructure in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands. These investments will strengthen the health and livelihoods of people across rural America. They include funding for 165 projects to expand access to safe water and/or clean energy for people living in disadvantaged communities.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced that it has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to better understand the challenges faced by minority- and women-owned developer enterprises ("MWDE") in New Jersey in accessing capital, particularly businesses that are engaged in the development of residential and commercial real estate.

Southeast Nebraska Development District (SENDD) is searching for a Contractor to help develop an Economic Development Plan Lite Toolkit to assist communities in their 16-county region who are considering expanding their economic development services. The Toolkit will provide community leaders with resources/guides needed in developing action and strategic plans that spur economic growth and build resiliency within their rural communities.

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