Florida Financing Programs

DW Request Form    WW Request Form

Please click on the buttons above to complete your funding request. The Funding Group meets on a quarterly basis, at which time each project submitted during the quarter will be reviewed and the appropriate funding authority will contact you.

FLORIDA SMALL CITIES CDBG PROGRAM

The Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program is a competitive grant program that awards funds to eligible cities, counties, towns and villages. There are approximately 249 eligible communities in Florida. To be eligible for the Small Cities CDBG Program, a city must have a population under 50,000, and a county's population must be under 200,000. The Program awards subgrants in four categories: Economic Development, Neighborhood Revitalization, Housing Rehabilitation, and Commercial Revitalization.

Shauita Jackson
850-717-8416
Shaurita.Jackson@deo.myflorida.com

Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Program The Cleanwater State Revolving Fund (SRF) Program provides low-interest loans to Eligible Local Governments for planning, design and constructing stormwater facilities. The Department solicits project information (request for inclusion) each year. The information is used to establish project priorities for the following annual cycle. Projects with the highest priority are based on public health and water quality. The same annual priority list development and management procedures are used for stormwater loans as for wastewater SRF loans. The loan terms include a 20-year amortization and low-interest rates. Preconstruction loans are available and provide up-front disbursements for project planning, administrative services and project design.

For more information, please contact:

Michael Chase
850-245-2913
Michael.Chase@floridadep.gov
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/cwsrf

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) Program provides low-interest loans to Eligible Entities for planning, designing, and constructing public water facilities. Federal and State appropriations have funded the SRF. It is a “revolving” fund because loan repayments are used to make additional loans. By federal law, the SRF is to be operated in perpetuity. The Department solicits project information each year from January 1 to February 15. The information is used to establish the project priority list for the following annual cycle. Funds are made available for Pre-construction Loans torate-based public water systems, Construction Loans of $75,000 minimum or more, and Pre-construction Grants and Construction Grants to financially disadvantaged communities. The Loan Terms include a 20-year (30-year for financially disadvantaged communities) amortization and low-interest rates. Small community assistance is available for communities having populations less than 10,000. Each year 15% of the funds is reserved exclusively for their use. In addition, small communities may qualify for loans from the unreserved 85% of the funds.

For more information, please contact:

Eric Meyers

850.245.2969
Eric.V.Meyers@FloridaDEP.gov
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/d

Public Works and Development Facilities Program. The Public Works Program empowers distressed communities in economic decline to revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure to attract new industry, encourage business expansion, diversify local economies, and generate or retain long-term, private sector jobs and investment. In many cases, public works projects are used to upgrade or expand an area’s economic infrastructure to support the next generation of industry or commerce. Whenever possible, this program seeks to redevelop existing facilities and industrial/commercial locations. EDA encourages such redevelopment projects because they promote sustainable economic development by taking advantage of readily available infrastructure and markets.

The Public Works and Economic Development Program supports locally-developed projects that long-term economic self-sufficiency and global competitiveness. Examples of past infrastructure investments include water and sewer facilities, industrial access roads, rail spurs, port improvements, skill-training facilities, technology-related infrastructure, as well as the demolition, renovation, and construction of publicly-owned facilities.

For more information, please contact:

Greg Vaday
772.521.4371
gvaday@eda.doc.gov

Rural Infrastructure Fund The Rural Infrastructure Fund is a resource available to rural communities in Florida to facilitate the creation, capital investment, and the strengthening and diversification of rural economies by promoting tourism, trade and economic development.

This program is intended to provide additional financial assistance that will enable rural communities to better access other infrastructure funding programs, including those offered by the US Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RD) and the US Department of Commerce-Economic Development Administration (EDA). Successful applicants will be those who achieve the maximum level of funds by ensuring that all possible sources of local, federal and other funding have been utilized and by ensuring that every possible effort has been made to minimize administrative expenses, including those relating to the use of consultants.

Rural Community Development Revolving Loan Program The Rural Community Development Revolving Loan Program provides financial assistance to local governments in the form of either a loan or loan guaranty. The purpose of the program is to provide financial assistance for a specific project that will lead to the creation of new jobs and increase the economic vitality and diversification of Florida’s rural counties. The maximum amount of financial assistance available for the program is $560,000. There is no minimum amount. The program is not designed to be the sole source of financing for any project. Successful program applicants will be those which achieve the maximum level of leverage of these funds by ensuring that every effort is made to utilize local, federal and other state funding resources in addition to this program. No application or administrative fees will be charged for the use of this program.

For more information, go to:

http://www.eog.myflorida.com

The Florida Rural Water Association Loan Program was created to assist communities in obtaining competitive interim financing for construction projects. In an effort to assist borrowers across the State with the overwhelming burden of financing capital construction projects, The Florida Rural Water Association in conjunction with Kirkpatrick Pettis has created an interim construction loan program to provide construction funding for communities which have received a permanent loan commitment from the United States Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RD) or permanent loan commitment from DEP SRF and needs construction funding. The program structure enables communities access to competitive fixed rate loan funds at a very low cost of borrowing. Loan proceeds are utilized for the construction period only and are paid off with USDA-RD/DEPSRF funds when the project is complete or funded.

For more information, please contact:

Gary Williams
850-668-2746
Gary.Williams@frwa.net
http://www.frwa.net

Loans and grants and grants are available for construction of public water and wastewater facilities, as well as for other municipal projects, from the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development. A community must have a population of less than 10,000 to qualify. The applicant must be an incorporated body or be organized as a private, nonprofit corporation. Grants for as much as 75% of project costs may be awarded for projects which pertain to public health, public health, public safety, or environmental improvement depending on the income level and need within the community. Rural Development prioritizes projects based on the assessment of need for the project and the financial capabilities of the applicant. The proportions of loan and grant vary depending on the agency’s overall assessment of a project.

For more information, please contact:

Jeanie Isler
352-352-3199
pamela.isler@usda.gov
http://www.rd.usda.gov

Market Rate - Available to applicants whose Median Household Income (MHI*) for their service area is greater than the non-metropolitan MHI of Florida ($28,470).

Intermediate Rate - Available to applicants whose MHI is not more than the non-metropolitan MHI * ($28,470) of Florida and who otherwise do not qualify for the poverty rate.

Poverty Rate - Available to applicants whose MHI is below the latest established nationwide poverty level (MHI*) of Florida (80 percent of $28,470 = $22,776) and there are existing health/sanitation conditions that would be alleviated with the proposed project so as to comply with regulatory agencies’ established standards.

As negotiated by private lender and applicant and determined by RUS to be reasonable. May be fixed or variable rate.

Rates are subject to change quarterly. The intermediate rate is set halfway between the poverty and market rates. Rates are fixed and the maximum rate is established at the time the loan is approved. If rates drop by the time the loan is closed, the applicant is afforded the opportunity to receive the lower rate.

Repayment Terms Up to 40 years for both direct and guaranteed loans based on the applicant’s authority and the useful life expectancy of the system.

Public Bodies Revenue Bonds, General Obligation Bonds, Special MHI is below the Assessment Bonds, Non-Profit Corporations -- Promissory Notes, Real Estate Mortgages, Financing Statements, and Security Agreements. Obligations that secure a guaranteed loan must be taxable.

Maximum Amounts Direct loans may be obtained for 100 percent of eligible project costs subject to adequate security, ability to repay, applicant’s authority to borrow and availability of funds.

Guaranteed Loans Same as for direct loans as determined by the private lender and approved by RUS. However, the Rural Development guarantee cannot exceed 90 percent of the loan, with the norm being 80 percent.

Grants are used to supplement direct loans for the purpose of reducing user charge for the facility to a reasonable level when compared to comparable systems and similar size communities with similar economic and income conditions.

Maximum Grants Up to 75 percent of eligible project costs for applicants whose MHI* is below the latest established nationwide poverty level ($16,050) or below 80 percent of the non-metropolitan MHI* of Florida (80 percent of $28,470 = $22,776) and the project is needed to correct health and sanitation problems.

Eligibility of an applicant can be determined by filing an application package with the appropriate USDA

Rural Development Area Office Applications should be made at the Rural Development Area Office. The Area Office staff will be glad to discuss services available from the RUS and explain how to prepare a written application. Florida has Area Offices in:

• Crestview - (850) 682-2416

• Gainesville (State Office) - (352) 338-3400

• Marianna - (850) 526-2610

• Ocala - (352) 732-7534

• Tavares - (352) 742-7005

• West Palm Beach - (561) 683-2285