RECOMMENDATION: Adopt an Ordinance authorizing the creation of two new grant funds (5006 and 5007) to support activities related to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grant program.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION: A brownfield is real property where the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of the location may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties protects the environment, reduces blight, and takes development pressure off greenspace and other lands.
The EPA's Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grant provides grant funding to recipients to pay for cleanup activities at brownfield sites. The program allows the grant recipient to provide sub-grants and loans to private and public partners to fund remediation work. If loans are provided, the grant recipient is allowed to keep the repayment of principal and interest to fund further clean-up activities or loans. Through these grants, the EPA seeks to encourage the economic redevelopment of contaminated properties.
Pursuant to Ordinance 2022-0784 approved by City Council on October 5, 2022, EPA has awarded the City of Houston a $1,000,000.00 Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant to support funding for brownfield remediation projects. The grant will be used as a tool and incentive to encourage economic redevelopment of impaired or blighted properties in the target areas of Fifth Ward, Near Northside, and East End. These target areas were selected based on community need, revitalization plans, and the capacity of development partners to cleanup and reuse brownfields for public good.
Houston Public Works (HPW) Brownfields Redevelopment Program will manage the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Program. Council approval of loan program guidelines and loan documents will be requested at a later meeting.
HPW requests Council approval to create two new interest-bearing grant funds for the purpose of implementing the sub-grant or loan program:
| Fund Number |
Fund Name |
Fund Description |
| 5006 |
BRWNFLD RLF ADV |
Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund - Advance |
| 5007 |
BRWNFLD RLF INCM |
Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund - Program Income |
FISCAL NOTE: No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.
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Carol Ellinger Haddock, P.E., Director
Houston Public Works