Securing infrastructure grants for municipalities

Key infrastructure grants for municipalities in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin

Infrastructure Grants

Description

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)  

• A federally funded program to support community development in low-income populations. 

• Participation requirements and eligible activities vary across states. The community development projects under the program include:

i. Infrastructure.

ii. Public facilities installation.

iii. Economic development projects.

iv. Community centers.

v. Public services. 

vi. Housing rehabilitation.

vii. Homeowner assistance.

viii. Microenterprise assistance, and others. 

• Eligible applicants are communities where at least 51% of the low-and-moderate-income population benefit from CDBG-funded development activities.  

Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)

• The federal-state partnership program provides low-cost financing to communities for various water quality infrastructure projects. 

• Eligible projects covered under the fund include:

i. Municipal wastewater facilities.

ii. Nonpoint source pollution control.

iii. Decentralized wastewater treatment. 

iv. Stormwater runoff mitigation. 

v. Green infrastructure. 

vi. Estuary protection. 

vii. Water reuse. 

• Notably, the funds for replacing lead service lines in communities are routed through the state revolving fund (SRF) programs. 

i. Illinois has a dedicated state grant program — the Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) grant program to help communities replace lead service lines in public water supplies. 

ii. The Iowa SRF has recently introduced lead service line replacement (LSLR) funding, which is a part of the SRF program but has a separate pool of funding.   

iii. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Safe Drinking Water Loan Program funds municipalities for LSLR of publicly owned infrastructure.  

Traffic Safety Grants

• Traffic safety grants aim to fund a wide range of activities, including:

i. Drivers and vulnerable road users. 

ii. At railway crossings. 

iii. Replacement and repair of obsolete natural gas pipelines. 

• Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) is a key traffic safety grant program that aims for zero roadway deaths. Eligible projects under the grant include:

i. Planning.

ii. Construction.

iii. Equipment and materials. 

iv. Operations and maintenance. 

v. Technology demonstrations and deployment. 

vi. Technical assistance, workforce development and training/ education. 

vii. Accessibility. 

• Cities, towns, counties, transit agencies, special districts and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are eligible applicants.  

• The Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) is a federally funded, competitive grant program that promotes alternate modes of transportation, such as streetscapes and bike trails.   

Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities (GIGO)

• The GIGO program aims to develop the best management practices of green infrastructure to limit stormwater runoff into Illinois rivers, streams and lakes. 

• Eligible projects under GIGO include: 

i. Rainwater harvesting.

ii. Watershedwide projects.

iii. Wetland creation.

iv. Floodplain reconnection.

v. Bioinfiltration.

vi. Detention pond creation and others. 

• Eligible applicants include county, municipality, township or state, local watershed groups, universities, colleges and park districts.