#MiddleburyCT #NVCOG
[Waterbury, CT] – On January 28, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in response to executive orders issued by President Trump, suspended the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments’ (NVCOG) Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) 2022 Award in the amount of $8,661,808. This abrupt decision jeopardizes and threatens to derail vital private real estate development deals, housing initiatives, and regional economic revitalization efforts across the region.
NVCOG’s RLF program offers low-interest loans and subgrants for cleaning up and redeveloping contaminated brownfields, playing a key role in transforming neglected properties into vibrant residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. Since 2005 the Revolving Loan Fund program has funded 42 Brownfield projects that are anticipated to leverage $350 million in non-federal investments. With its suspension, municipalities and developers alike are left facing stalled projects, financial uncertainty, and scrambling to find alternative funding sources.
“This decision strikes a devastating blow to Connecticut’s private developers, municipalities, businesses, and the residents who rely on these critical projects for housing and community growth,” said Rick Dunne, Executive Director of NVCOG. “This sudden action, made without prior notice or dialogue, not only halts progress but actively sets back years of work in revitalizing our communities.”
The suspension of the RLF 2022 Award directly disrupts ongoing housing projects and denies municipalities access to critical loans and grants necessary for redevelopment efforts. Private developers who have invested time and resources into these projects are now facing an uncertain future, with financial gaps that could derail years of planning.
The impact of the EPA’s decision is far-reaching across the NVCOG region, affecting multiple projects that were set to receive funding. These include:
• 501 East Main Street, Ansonia
• 17-19 Henry Healey Drive, Ansonia
• 40 West Street, Bristol
• 0 Maple Street, Naugatuck
• 226 Rubber Avenue, Naugatuck
• 0/280 Elm Street, Naugatuck
• 113/125 Canal Street, Shelton
• 281 Canal Street, Shelton
• 359 Mill Street, Waterbury
• 170 Freight Street, Waterbury
• 698 South Main Street, Waterbury
• 835 Main Street, Waterbury
• 272 River Street, Waterbury
NVCOG is calling on the state’s federal delegation and local officials to advocate for immediate reinstatement of the RLF 2022 Awards nationwide to prevent economic fallout and further setbacks in housing development.