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
Connecticut Zoning Bills in Peril Near End of Legislative Session
Two bills that would change zoning rules to encourage more housing production and denser zoning are still in limbo as the legislature prepares to go on recess.
Utah Could Eliminate Parking Requirements Near Transit
A proposed state bill would bar cities from requiring parking in areas adjacent to transit stations in an effort to make housing production more affordable and encourage walking and transit use.
Arlington County Struggles To Meet Affordable Housing Goals
As the region’s population swells and demand for housing grows, Arlington County considers zoning reform to boost its affordable housing stock.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service