The U.S. Department of Transportation recently outlined key criteria that will guide disbursement of the $30 million available via its new “Thriving Communities” program, overseen in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
[Above photo by the USDOT]
USDOT and HUD issued both a call for letters of interest from community leaders seeking support from the program as well as a notice of funding opportunity for “capacity builders” to receive grants through the program.
Capacity builders are invited to apply individually or as a team and may include non-profits, state, local or tribal governments, and philanthropies. The NOFO will be open until November 22, USDOT noted. Letters of interest are due to the agency by December 6.
Established by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, enacted in November 2021, the Thriving Communities program will provide two years of “intensive” technical assistance to under-resourced and disadvantaged communities to help identify, develop, and deliver transportation and community revitalization activities, USDOT said.
USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg stressed that there is no cost for communities to receive support through this program.
“No one understands a community’s needs better than those who live there,” he noted in a statement. “This program will help equip more local leaders with the resources, knowledge, and assistance they need to access federal funding, and modernize their infrastructure so that it serves the community well for decades to come.”
“Affordable housing investments must go hand-in-hand with transportation improvements,” added HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge.
“Connecting housing and transportation through transit-oriented development improves housing affordability, reduces automobile dependence, and expands access to employment, schools, health care, and other critical needs and opportunities for residents,” she said.
Nation
USDOT Issues $130M Worth of SMART Program Grants
December 20, 2024
Nation
