Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund (H6252)
In June 2025, the Rhode Island General Assembly approved House Bill 6252, authorizing the Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund, a revolving fund that supports local climate resiliency projects. The Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB) administers the Fund. Building on the Rhode Island Municipal Resilience Program (MRP), the Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund will allocate existing resources to cities and towns to bolster their defenses in the face of more extreme weather events. The Fund is designed to create a revolving source of low-interest loan financing for infrastructure projects that yield a high return on investment to replenish the fund.
Rhode Island is a coastal state and strives to bolster its climate infrastructure. The Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund will fund community projects that include, but are not limited to, stormwater mitigation, coastal erosion control, floodproofing, and urban greening. Funding can go toward technical, administrative, and financial assistance for community projects. To complete projects, RIIB will prioritize local hiring in accordance with the legislation.
Local government units can apply for funding through RIIB, which will review the applications and has authority to distribute funds from the state and federal government, enter commitments with local governments to provide funds, levy fees on borrowers, engage third party professional services, and establish accounts within the fund. RIIB is given this authority by the General Assembly, which introduced the Fund in the House on April 23, 2025 and then introduced the Fund under the same name in the senate on May 13, 2025. The creation of the fund is codified in the Rhode Island General Laws, § 46-12.2-4.4.
Publication Date: June 20, 2025
Related Organizations:
- State of Rhode Island
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- Funding program
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