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Summit Strategies December Local Government Update
ROAD to Housing Act Stalled
The Senate missed a chance to advance the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act, which is designed to address housing affordability by increasing housing in opportunity zones, lifting the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program cap, creating a housing supply practice framework, and boosting the production of multifamily and rental housing. Champions had hoped that the measure would catch a ride on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one of the few “must-pass” bills left for the year.
The $901 billion NDAA bill would set curbs on American investments in sensitive Chinese industries and back the Pentagon’s push to buy commercial technology. Additionally, it would authorize a 3.8% troop pay raise and withhold a portion of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until he provides lawmakers with all unedited videos of U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. The legislation would repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force in Iraq, and authorize $400 million for Ukraine security assistance.
HUD Paused Policy Changes to Homelessness Program Ahead of Court Hearing
On November 13th, HUD announced policy changes that would redirect the majority of the Continuum of Care Program (CoC) funding from permanent housing to transitional housing and supportive services. The CoC program provides funding to local governments and nonprofits that work to alleviate housing insecurity. The significant cut to funding would place about 170,000 people at risk of experiencing homelessness. In response, two lawsuits developed, one from 21 attorneys general and governors and a second from 11 local governments and nonprofit organizations.
Ninety minutes prior to their court hearing, HUD withdrew their CoC notice. U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy was unaware of this development, stating HUD’s actions were unacceptable.
McElroy instructed HUD to resubmit new arguments addressing the last-minute change. HUD stated they will also release an updated Notice of Funding. We expect a NOFO to be released in the coming days.
Open Grant Opportunities
Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants for Fiscal Year 2025: Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants support the implementation of a comprehensive plan that focuses on the revitalization of a severely distressed public housing and/or HUD-assisted housing project, while also improving the surrounding neighborhood and providing supportive services to improve quality of life outcomes for residents of the target housing project.
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• Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Funding Range: Floor-Ceiling: $1; $1,000,000
• Estimated Total Program Funding: $75,000,000
• Application Deadline: March 9, 2025
Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants (Community-wide Assessment Grants): The Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization is soliciting applications for Community-Wide Assessment grants. It is anticipated that up to 70 awards will be made under this announcement.
The amount of funding is expected to be $35,000,000. Assessment grants provide funding for developing inventories of brownfield sites, prioritizing sites, conducting community involvement activities, conducting planning, conducting site assessments, developing site-specific cleanup plans, and developing reuse plans related to brownfield sites. • Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
• Funding Range: Floor-Ceiling: $1; $500,000
• Estimated Total Program Fundings: $35,000,000
• Application Deadline: January 28, 2026
FY26 Guidelines for Brownfield Cleanup Grants: The Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization is announcing the availability of $107 million dollars for approximately 36 cleanup grants. Cleanup Grants provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the applicant. The goal of the grant program is to clean up contaminated properties with the aim of facilitating their sustainable reuse.
• Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
• Funding Range: Floor-Ceiling: $1; $4,000,000
• Estimated Total Program Fundings: $107,000,000
• Application Deadline: January 28, 2026
Guidelines for Brownfield Multipurpose (MP) Grants: The Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization is announcing the availability of $20 million dollars to award approximately 20 cooperative agreements for the Multipurpose Grant Program. Multipurpose Grants provide funding to carry out a range of eligible assessment and cleanup activities, including planning and additional community engagement activities. An applicant may request funding up to $1,000,000 to address hazardous substances and/or petroleum contamination at one or more brownfield sites.
Activities carried out at each approved, eligible site may exceed $200,000. EPA will determine eligibility for site-specific assessment and cleanup activities after the award of the grant throughout the project period. A Multipurpose Grant recipient may only expend grant funds for the remediation of a brownfield site it owns and may not issue a subaward to another site owner to conduct the remediation.
• Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
• Funding Range: Floor-Ceiling: $1; $1,000,000
• Estimated Total Program Fundings: $20,000,000
• Application Deadline: January 28, 2026
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Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Airport Terminal Program (ATP) Grants:
The Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces the opportunity to apply for approximately $1 billion in FY 2026 competitive funds for the Airport Terminal Program (ATP), made available under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), Pub. L. 117-58. The purpose of the ATP is to make annual grants available to eligible airports for airport terminal and airport-owned Airport Traffic Control Tower development projects that address the aging infrastructure of our nation’s airports. • Agency: DOT Federal Aviation Administration
• Funding Range: Floor-Ceiling: $25,000; $
• Estimated Total Program Fundings: $970,000,000
• Application Deadline: January 15, 2026
National Infrastructure Investments: The goal of the program is to fund projects that will have a significant local or regional impact and improve transportation infrastructure. BUILD grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, per statute, for planning or constructing surface transportation infrastructure projects that will improve safety; environmental sustainability; quality of life; mobility and community connectivity; economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism; state of good repair; partnership and collaboration; and innovation. • Agency: Office of the Under Secretary for Policy
• Funding Range: Floor-Ceiling: $1; $25,000,000
• Estimated Total Program Fundings: $1,500,000,000
• Application Deadline: February 24, 2026
Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program: The FSP Program provides a Federal funding opportunity to improve American passenger rail assets by funding projects that enhance safety, such as grade crossing projects on a passenger rail route; reduce the State of Good Repair backlog; improve performance; or expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service, including privately operated intercity passenger rail service if an eligible applicant is involved.
• Agency: DOT – Federal Railroad Administration
• Funding Range: Floor-Ceiling: $0; $5,070,784,989
• Estimated Total Program Fundings: $ 5,070,784,989
• Application Deadline: January 7, 2026
Legislative Tracking
• H.R. 4776: SPEED Act
o Date Introduced: July 25, 2025
o Sponsor: Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4)
o Status: Passed the House
o Summary: This bill limits the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and modifies the environmental review of major federal actions under
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NEPA to generally limit the number of federal actions that trigger NEPA review and to expedite the review process.
o Legislative Update: On December 18th, the House passed the SPEED Act 221-196.
• H.R. 6608: Safeguarding Homeland Immigration Enforcement from Local Detention (SHIELD) Act
o Date Introduced: December 11, 2025
o Sponsor: Rep. Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19)
o Status: Introduced
o Summary: This bill would prohibit Federal funds from being made available to any State or local government that arrests or prosecutes Federal law enforcement officers for performing duties related to the enforcement of Federal immigration law.
• H.R. 5782: Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025
o Date Introduced: October 17, 2025
o Sponsor: Joe Neguse (D-CO-2)
o Status: Introduced
o Summary: This bill would accelerate and improve forest management practices, streamline environmental reviews, and strengthen partnerships between federal agencies, states, tribes, and private stakeholders to combat wildfires and restore forest ecosystems.
• H.R. 1374: Securing the Cities Improvement Act
o Date Introduced: October 17, 2025
o Sponsor: Joe Neguse (D-CO-2)
o Status: Introduced
o Summary: This bill would accelerate and improve forest management practices, streamline environmental reviews, and strengthen partnerships between federal agencies, states, tribes, and private stakeholders to combat wildfires and restore forest ecosystems.
Agency Activities
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Launches First-Ever National Advanced Air Mobility Strategy to Unlock the Future of Flight
The Secretary of Transportation, Sean P. Duffy unveiled the nation’s first Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Strategy setting an ambitious roadmap to accelerate American aviation innovation. The Strategy and accompanying action plan outline 40 recommendations to safely and efficiently support AAM operations.
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News Roundup
• State DOTs Supporting Local Infrastructure Projects AASHTO • Trump signs executive order seeking to block states from regulating AI companies NBC • Air traffic controllers calling out sick during shutdown may have acted illegally, FAA chief says Government Executive
• Rising tensions and finger-pointing at DHS amid pressure to ramp up deportations NBC • EPA moves to fast-track data centers, some cities are moving to slow them down Smart Cities Dive
• DOJ rolls back anti-discrimination rules Politico