What causes some economic development projects to move forward smoothly while others lose momentum long before construction ever begins?

That question surfaced repeatedly across recent industry conversations, including discussions at the 2026 KAED Collaboration Conference.

Since assuming office on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump has implemented a series of significant measures aimed at drastically reducing spending across the federal government. These efforts have the potential to dramatically alter states’ reliance on federal grant funding to support a wide range of programs that assist economically disadvantaged communities. In particular, President Trump’s recent executive order targeting the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) not only raises concerns for Kentuckians who depend on its financial assistance for community based financial institutions, as well as for small businesses and infrastructure projects that benefit from the Fund’s incentives and investments.