Local governments can apply for part of a $5 million program aimed at helping them identify appropriate sites, preserve affordable housing, and build more housing near transit.
A new program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will fund projects that support transit-oriented housing development. As Daniel C. Vock explains in Route Fifty, the program will prioritize communities with populations under 250,000, with the first $5 million round of the program expected to fund 30 to 35 projects.
The grants are part of a multi-agency effort called Thriving Communities that will use funding from the 2021 infrastructure law to support local governments in four areas:
- Identifying vacant land near transportation projects that can be used to build housing.
- Preserving affordable housing.
- Streamlining the regulatory process for building new housing.
- Improving coordination among government agencies on housing production.
The program will give local governments access to technical assistance to “revive economically distressed areas that have faced historical disinvestment” and build more housing that is accessible and connected to public transit and other transportation infrastructure.
FULL STORY: HUD Offers Cities Help to Add Housing Near Transportation Options
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