The WIFIA federal loans program provides start-up capital to local water infrastructure projects. The program is designed to encourage experimentation and cost-effective construction strategies.
The Trump administration's infrastructure plan remains unclear, especially as press conferences on the subject devolve into controversial (to put it mildly) off-the-cuff remarks on national tragedies. Nevertheless, the Brookings Institution is still looking at how Washington could move forward on infrastructure, and it has identified the EPA's Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program as a good bet.
Citing its bipartisan support, Joseph Kane writes, "WIFIA offers greater financial flexibility to a wide variety of utilities, municipalities, and other eligible entities who may lack the capacity to fund water infrastructure upgrades, by helping cover up to 49 percent of project costs and targeting large-scale improvements."
"Unlike federal grants, WIFIA loans depend more on the ability of borrowers to generate revenue, reduce investment risk, and consider other forms of private and nonfederal financing; as a result, it is estimated that the initial federal subsidy can drive more than $2 billion in water loans."
Kane concludes by qualifying all of this. "Time will tell how effective these loans can be in getting projects done nationally, but they mark a step in the right direction at a moment with little to no infrastructure leadership in Washington."
FULL STORY: Despite federal infrastructure cuts, EPA’s WIFIA water loan program holds promise
Gateway Program Encounters Barrier in Trump
President Trump has not been a friend to the $30 billion Gateway Program, a transportation project meant to replace aging rail infrastructure connecting New York and New Jersey.
San Diego Water Recycling Project Receives Critical EPA Loan
One of the nation's most ambitious attempts to recycle wastewater into potable water received a huge lift last month from the EPA with the receipt of a $164 million loan under the now-permanent Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.
Trump Budget's Devastating Effect on the EPA and Two of America's Greatest Water Resources
President Trump's budget for 2018 has the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency take the steepest hit—31 percent. Funding for two vital programs, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Chesapeake Bay Program, will have their funds eliminated.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Meet NYC’s New Office of Livable Streets
The NYC DOT program will build on pandemic-era initiatives to promote safe and comfortable streets that enhance community and expand uses beyond just moving cars.
Transit Riders Face the Highest Safety Risks in These 10 States
According to federal data, the average number of safety incidents on public transportation averaged 55.2 per 100,000 people across all states between 2010 and 2023. Which states came in well above the national average?
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
