FTA Announces $17.6 Million for Affordable Housing Near Transit

FTA has announced $17.6 million in grants going to 20 communities in 16 states to support equitable transit-oriented development. With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, FTA’s Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning is helping communities develop local plans to encourage ridership by developing housing and businesses near transit corridors.

For the first time with the awards announced here, each of the selected projects has an affordable housing component and will require no local matching funds. This second round of TOD planning grants since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help more public transit agencies make lasting changes in their communities by setting the stage for future development and jobs creation.

“We are proud to help another 20 communities develop plans to add affordable housing near public transit,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This is an important part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to increase access to opportunity and bring down costs for families.”

Planning projects were selected for funding based on criteria described in a Notice of Funding Opportunity, which also marked the second time that applicants were asked to prioritize TOD in areas with high incidence rates of homelessness.

“Transportation and housing are the two biggest costs for most Americans,” said FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool. “Today, we are delivering funding that will help create affordable places to live, while bringing down the costs of transportation for the people who live there. For communities all over the country that struggle to find extra funds for federal grants, this should be a message: if you are building good projects well, you will have the support of this Administration.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a total of $68.9 million in funding for the TOD Planning Program through 2026, a 38 percent increase over the prior five years of funding. Since 2015, FTA has provided approximately $122 million in federal support to fund TOD planning activities.