Interest in opportunity zones is abundant. Information is not. That's why more than 200 investors, local leaders and policymakers from more than 40 states turned up at Georgetown last week for an opportunity zone pow-wow hosted by the Beeck Center and the Council of Development Finance Agencies.

OakCLT has acquired eight vacant lots to be converted into urban gardens and permanently affordable homes, and 18 single-family houses that were rehabilitated and sold to low-income households. The land trust also helped worker-owner collective Hasta Muerte Coffee, a community hub, stay in its two-story building.

The Federal Transit Administration has approved a $100 million allocation toward the Lynnwood Link light-rail extension. The $100M is in addition to a previously allocated $100M through the federal Capital Investment Grant program for infrastructure projects across the country.

The Putnam Block project in Bennington, VT recently received a $500,000 equity commitment from the Vermont Community Foundation, bringing total project equity investments to $2 million. Equity will  leverage nearly $23 million in grants, loans, preferred equity and tax credits to complete the project.

Enterprise Community Partners is joining forces with Rivermont Capital and Beekman Advisors to launch an "opportunity fund" focused on local business development and entrepreneurship.The Rivermont Enterprise Emergent Communities Fund, targeted at $250 million, will invest in small towns and rural areas in the Southeast.

This report by the National Council of State Housing Agencies examines the factors affecting the cost of developing affordable multifamily rental housing using LIHTC. Using data provided by 14 LIHTC syndicators, NCSHA analyzed development cost data for more than 2,500 projects developed through the LIHTC program.

When teams visited the site of the former Hudepohl Brewery, they came face to face with 30 years of deterioration, decay and a pile of asbestos 3-stories-high. They knew that asbestos was an inherited problem. But, the magnitude was daunting. Clean up would be costly, but also mandatory as doing nothing created an even greater danger.

Bond financing facilitated by WHEFA was used to help Wisconsin Illinois Senior Housing, Inc. ("WISH") refinance bonds previously issued by WHEFA. Bond proceeds will also be used for renovations to certain healthcare and senior living facilities located in Fort Atkinson, Hartford, Stevens Point, Wausau, and Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.

Demand for P3s in higher education is on the rise, particularly for student housing and parking, according to a report by Fitch Ratings. According to the report, P3s may provide a suitable option for student housing, parking, and energy, and other auxiliary assets, as P3s "provide a more efficient procurement and delivery process."

The Senate won't vote anytime this year on the Tax Reform 2.0 legislation that House Republicans are hoping to pass this month because Senate Republicans know it has no chance of passage in their chamber. The proposed legislation would make permanent the $10,000 cap on the federal deduction for state and local taxes.

House Republicans released the text of three bills making up their Tax Reform 2.0 legislation, which would make permanent the cap on the deduction for state and local taxes as well as the higher threshold for individuals subject to the alternative minimum tax.

The results of TIF have been compelling since its inception as a development finance tool. Lending itself to flexibility and creativity, TIF has perennially supported diverse projects across diverse communities throughout the U.S. During this installment of the CDFA // BNY Mellon Webcast Series, expert speakers will share the latest updates in TIF, discuss interactions between cities and other taxing bodies when developing a TIF district together, and explore the innovative ways communities are utilizing this tool to meet their ever-changing needs. 

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