Register for CDFA's Intro Federal Finance WebCourse, taking place on December 9-10, to learn about the federal funding resources available to help advance economic development. Our panel of expert speakers will discuss how federal support tools can work in coordination with other development finance tools for programs and projects on the local level.

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI Hub) has announced up to $10 million in federal funding to support early-stage research and development (R&D) aimed at reducing the criticality of materials used in energy technologies. The focus is on materials like rare earth elements, gallium, and copper. These efforts align with the CMI Hub's roadmap and aim to strengthen the U.S. supply chain for critical materials, with a special emphasis on industry partnerships. The Hub expects to make up to eight awards, each with a maximum of $1.5 million, requiring a 20% cost share from industry partners.

Join us for a session on Pairing TIFs with Special Assessments to Spur Retail Revitalization. Discover how Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and special assessments drive impactful retail revitalization nationwide. Learn how municipalities and the development finance industry are leveraging these tools to support local businesses and foster sustainable economic growth. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into how these strategies can revitalize communities and strengthen the local economy.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new $156 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the City of Pflugerville, Texas, to support drinking water infrastructure upgrades and continue to ensure that the entire community can rely on clean, safe drinking water. The city will expand its water treatment plant and increase the capacity of the existing drinking water distribution system by upsizing pipes, constructing a new secondary Colorado River Raw Water Line, and upgrading pump stations.

Despite the Fed cutting interest rates by 75 basis points over its last two meetings, bond yields, particularly the 10-year Treasury yield, rose to 4.47%, a four-month high. This counterintuitive movement mirrors the 1995 economic soft landing, where yields climbed initially after rate cuts before eventually declining as the Fed's easing cycle continued. Although the recent rise in yields has been sharp, we maintain the outlook that Treasury yields will fall in 2025 as economic growth moderates, inflation eases, and the Fed continues rate cuts.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will award $73 million in cooperative agreements under the Community Compass Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program (Community Compass) to 34 non-profit and for-profit organizations, including 6 new organizations to help HUD grantees, such as local governments and housing agencies, effectively use HUD resources to expand access to quality, affordable housing nationwide.

The 10-year Treasury yield is nearing 5%, a level where bonds become more attractive than stocks. Bank of America analyst Savita Subramanian notes that at 5%, bonds offer similar returns to stocks but with less risk and volatility, making them a more appealing option for investors, and reducing the equity risk premium.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the creation of new programs that will help farmers who grow fruits, vegetables, and nuts overcome market barriers for their products, and help producers access necessary pre-market storage for their crops following severe weather events, including recent hurricanes. Specifically, the new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops initiative will provide $2 billion to assist specialty crop growers in maintaining a strong domestic supply and expanding market opportunities for their crops.

The Project Manager Supervisor ("PM Supervisor") supervises a team of Project Managers that operate within the Multifamily Energy Efficiency and Housing Affordability (MEEHA) programs. The PM Supervisor organizes, coordinates, and manages the execution of program initiatives when moving projects through the MEEHA program funding process. The PM Supervisor uses their technical expertise in building construction, energy diagnostic and modeling methodologies, to successfully train and manage a team of Project Managers, and review the work completed by Project Managers including approving funding requests, product specifications, payment requests, cost-benefit analysis, and work progression inspections.

The Program Manager position is responsible for the development, implementation and management and monitoring of the State of Maryland's federally-funded HOME Investment Partnership Program (the 'Home Program'). This position also implements the oversight of the HOME American Rescue Plan Program (ARP) to ensure compliance. The Program Manager provides oversight for the development of systems, policies and procedures for this federal program, as well as State programs. The candidate must implement guidelines and programmatic policies for preventing fraud, waste and abuse of federal funds as required by program regulations. This position also analyzes, applies, and enforces complex federal guidelines. 

The Fiscal Manager assists the Program Managers in the implementation of program operations to support the Housing and Building Energy Programs. This position is responsible for the day-to-day accounting, analysis, and fiscal compliance for all Housing and Building Energy Programs (HBEP aka "CDA-Energy") programs. Duties include collecting documentation for reporting and audits, examining accounting data, making recommendations to improve accuracy, identifying process improvements, collaborating with other program and accounting department staff, acting as the primary point of contact for accounting and finance-related inquiries during any audit-related activities, inspecting budgets and expenditures, reviewing purchase orders and balances, preparing accounting statements, preparing reconciliation of expenditures, etc.

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