The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has already hit public transit revenues hard, and the concerns of millions of renters around the country about how they'll afford to pay the rent are weighing heavily on the country.
[Update: the text of the Senate version of the bill [pdf], and a summary, have been released [pdf].]
"Senators and Trump administration officials reached an agreement early Wednesday on a sweeping, roughly $2 trillion stimulus measure to send direct payments and jobless benefits to individuals as well as money to states and businesses devastated by the coronavirus pandemic," report Emily Cochrane and Nicholas Fandos.
"Lawmakers and aides were still drafting portions of the bill early Wednesday morning," according to the article, so a text of the bill was not available as of this writing, but initial reports indicate that transit and housing will both receive a sizable infusion of funding in the final version of the bill.
Diane Yentel of the National Low Income Housing Coalition is on Twitter this morning, sharing news about the stimulus package’s funding for housing. According to Yentel, the stimulus bill will include (in addition to other sums of money):
- $4 billion in Emergency Solutions Grants to assist homeless shelters and outreach workers working to reduce risks from the coronavirus for the homeless.
- $5 billion in Community Development Block Grants, which can be used for rental assistance.
- $685 million for public housing.
- $1.25 billion in Tenant-Based Rental Assistance [pdf].
- $1 Billion in Project-Based Rental Assistance [pdf].
Yonah Freemark, a transportation researcher at MIT who also runs The Transport Politic website, is also on Twitter this morning mining the available information about the stimulus bill for details on transit for beleaguered public transit systems.
According to Freemark, the bill includes $25 billion for public transit agencies, including funding for operations. The bill almost triples annual spending on transit from the federal government, and provides a huge infusion of dollars for transit operations, according to Freemark, "which have been mostly off-limits for federal transit funding for years."
Calyton Guse, New York Daily News transit report, is also on Twitter reporting details of the bill specific to public transit in New York. In total, the state of New York will receive $4.35 billion for transit, including $3.8 billion just for the MTA.
The MTA had asked Congress for $4 billion in funding last week, and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) asked for $12.5 billion for all transit agencies, so the final stimulus bill, expected to pass later today, increased the funding on both those requests.
Planetizen will continue to update this story as more details emerge.
FULL STORY: Congress and White House Strike Deal for $2 Trillion Stimulus Package
How $30 Billion in Stimulus Funding Would Change the Equation for Transit Agencies
The funding in the draft stimulus funding package making its way through Congress falls short of the total requested by the American Public Transportation Association, but would go a long way to helping transit agencies weather the pandemic.
What's in the New Economic Stimulus Package for U.S. Transit Agencies
A new economic stimulus package that appears headed for approval as of this writing will give $15 billion to public transit, far less than transit advocates had hoped, but far better than nothing.
Amtrak in Dire Financial Straits, Seeking More Federal Relief Funding
Amtrak officials say they need $4.9 billion in funding to prevent service and job losses.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions