State and federal agencies outline grants, loans and Prop 4 timelines at CFCC funding fair

Sarissa Hartwell, division of financial assistance at the State Water Resources Control Board, opened the California Financing Coordinating Committee’s spring 2026 funding fair and directed attendees to the CFCC website and handbook for slides, contact information and a funding inquiry form maintained through I‑Bank and the State Water Board.

The day-long virtual fair brought federal, state and nonprofit presenters together to explain where to look for funds, what eligibility rules apply and what to expect in terms of timing and technical requirements. The presentations were intended to help local agencies, small utilities, tribes and nonprofit partners identify and pursue financing for water, wastewater, brownfields, community facilities and resiliency projects.

“Grants.gov is an amazing website,” David White of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation told attendees as he demonstrated searching and filtering federal notices of funding opportunities. White said applicants should read each NOFO carefully, save confirmation codes, and expect a substantial environmental review: “NEPA must be completed prior to any ground disturbing work,” and applicants should factor at least a year for award and NEPA completion.

Brooklyn James of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields program highlighted the non‑competitive Targeted Brownfields Assessment service (free contractor assessments) and warned that cleanup grants will be smaller in the coming year after recent legislative changes. James said EPA’s clean‑up grants will be capped at $500,000 and that a 20% cost share requirement will return for cleanup and revolving‑loan funds, and signaled most grant solicitations will open in the fall.

Federal rural programs were presented in detail. Sarah Brooks of USDA Rural Development described direct loans, loan guarantees and grants for community facilities (equipment and small capital projects) that generally serve places under 20,000 residents. Edgar Ortega (USDA Water and Environmental Programs) summarized water and wastewater loans and grants for very small, rural communities, noting a range of interest rates and long terms (up to 40 years), and pointing users to RD Apply for submissions.

On state funding and coordination, Gabriel Edwards of the Department of Water Resources guided attendees to grants.ca.gov and DWR’s grants and loans website. Edwards said DWR had no active solicitations at the time of the fair but previewed several Proposition 4 programs under development, including the Dam Safety and Climate Resilience local assistance program (drafts released for 45‑day public comment; comment period closes June 11) and a desalination grants webinar scheduled for June 22. He urged applicants to monitor individual program pages for draft guidelines and outreach dates.

Lena Mohler of the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank outlined ISF loan structures backed by I‑Bank bond issuance, including examples of past financing (wastewater rehabilitation, solar installations and utility undergrounding). Mohler said ISF loans can range from roughly $1 million to $65 million, may offer 100% financing, and often close in 4–6 months though expedited cases are possible.

Brenda Pauly from the State Water Resources Control Board summarized the state’s portfolio for wastewater and drinking‑water projects (including the Drinking Water SRF, Water Recycling Fund, lead service line replacement and interim emergency drinking water assistance). Pauly emphasized priorities for small and disadvantaged communities and noted technical assistance and outreach resources available through the CFCC materials.

Angela Rossio at the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation previewed Round Two of the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience program, funded in part by Proposition 4 with $27.5 million for early and advanced infrastructure projects. Rossio said the program includes equity targets (40% of funds to disadvantaged communities; 10% to severely disadvantaged communities) and expects a notice of funding availability in early summer 2026 with awards announced in early 2027.

Adrian from the Strategic Growth Council reviewed several SGC offerings open or forthcoming, including tribal housing capacity and predevelopment funds (applications open, awards recommended in October) and the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program (application deadline June 17). Adrian flagged larger SGC programs shifting to Proposition 4 funding and urged applicants to use grants portal links and SGC outreach.

Shelley Norm of the Rural Community Assistance Corporation described RCAC’s onsite technical assistance (grant application support, rate studies, emergency planning) and small rural loan products including bridge loans that pay contractors while projects await state reimbursement.

Practical takeaways for prospective applicants included: (1) read the full NOFO and follow program‑specific criteria; (2) save confirmation and tracking numbers for federal submissions; (3) expect NEPA and other environmental compliance to affect schedules; (4) check CFCC, grants.ca.gov and agency program pages for draft guidelines and comment dates (DWR’s dam safety draft comments are due June 11; EPA brownfields and several federal programs likely to post in fall); and (5) use breakout rooms or agency contacts listed in the CFCC handbook for project‑specific questions.

The funding fair followed with breakout rooms where attendees could speak directly with program staff and download presentation PDFs from the CFCC website. Organizers said follow‑up materials and a survey would be distributed to the CFCC mailing list maintained by the State Water Resources Control Board.