This bill aims to expand the reach of the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program by integrating Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Its primary purpose is to enable CDFIs to finance transit-oriented development (TOD) projects, particularly those that benefit low-income communities and individuals. This is achieved by allowing CDFIs to establish dedicated CDFI TOD accounts , which will be capitalized through secured loans from the TIFIA program. The legislation introduces several modifications to the TIFIA program to accommodate CDFIs. For instance, the Secretary of Transportation may rely on a credit assessment from the Secretary of the Treasury for CDFI applicants, rather than requiring traditional investment grade ratings. Projects capitalizing a CDFI TOD account are deemed to generate beneficial effects, simplifying a key eligibility criterion. Additionally, the bill caps eligible project costs for these accounts at $100,000,000 and requires CDFIs to execute loan agreements with project sponsors within two years of receiving a TIFIA loan commitment. To ensure dedicated funding, the bill mandates a set-aside of up to 10 percent of total TIFIA funds for CDFI TOD accounts each fiscal year. Any unobligated funds from this set-aside can be reallocated after June 1. The Secretary of Transportation is also directed to consult with the Secretary of the Treasury, who will provide assistance in the credit underwriting, servicing, and monitoring of these Federal credit instruments, with up to 10 percent of TIFIA administration funds available for Treasury reimbursements. A CDFI TOD project is defined as one located near transit facilities that supports commercial facilities, businesses, community facilities, or housing primarily benefiting low-income persons or communities. Loans made by CDFIs from these accounts to project sponsors cannot exceed 80 percent of eligible project costs, with repayment commencing within five years of project completion and a final maturity of 30 years. CDFIs are authorized to operate under a delegated lending model, setting their own loan terms, and may use loan repayments to fund additional projects, provided their TIFIA loan repayment is not impaired.
Equitable Transit Oriented Development Support Act
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Equitable Transit Oriented Development Support Act
USA119th CongressHR-8607| House
| Updated: 4/30/2026
This bill aims to expand the reach of the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program by integrating Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Its primary purpose is to enable CDFIs to finance transit-oriented development (TOD) projects, particularly those that benefit low-income communities and individuals. This is achieved by allowing CDFIs to establish dedicated CDFI TOD accounts , which will be capitalized through secured loans from the TIFIA program. The legislation introduces several modifications to the TIFIA program to accommodate CDFIs. For instance, the Secretary of Transportation may rely on a credit assessment from the Secretary of the Treasury for CDFI applicants, rather than requiring traditional investment grade ratings. Projects capitalizing a CDFI TOD account are deemed to generate beneficial effects, simplifying a key eligibility criterion. Additionally, the bill caps eligible project costs for these accounts at $100,000,000 and requires CDFIs to execute loan agreements with project sponsors within two years of receiving a TIFIA loan commitment. To ensure dedicated funding, the bill mandates a set-aside of up to 10 percent of total TIFIA funds for CDFI TOD accounts each fiscal year. Any unobligated funds from this set-aside can be reallocated after June 1. The Secretary of Transportation is also directed to consult with the Secretary of the Treasury, who will provide assistance in the credit underwriting, servicing, and monitoring of these Federal credit instruments, with up to 10 percent of TIFIA administration funds available for Treasury reimbursements. A CDFI TOD project is defined as one located near transit facilities that supports commercial facilities, businesses, community facilities, or housing primarily benefiting low-income persons or communities. Loans made by CDFIs from these accounts to project sponsors cannot exceed 80 percent of eligible project costs, with repayment commencing within five years of project completion and a final maturity of 30 years. CDFIs are authorized to operate under a delegated lending model, setting their own loan terms, and may use loan repayments to fund additional projects, provided their TIFIA loan repayment is not impaired.