FTA Announces $10.5 Million To Help Communities Increase And Improve Affordable Housing Near Public Transit

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently announced nearly $10.5 million in grants to support the development and preservation of affordable housing near public transit in communities across the country.

Funding is awarded to 11 communities in 10 states through the  Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning, which is funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grants will advance a key part of the Administration’s Housing Supply Action Plan by helping communities develop plans to encourage ridership by developing housing and businesses near transit corridors.

A full list of this year’s selected projects is available here. Some of the selected fiscal year 2024 projects include:

• The Maryland Transit Administration and the University of Maryland will receive $1.6 million to create a plan focused on retaining homes and small businesses along the Maryland Purple Line light rail system. The plan will include strategies to address displacement caused by the new light rail line, currently under construction in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, in low-income areas to maintain housing affordability, green space, and environmental amenities.

• The City of Oklahoma City and the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority will receive $975,000 to plan for transit-oriented development along a major corridor on the Northwest Bus Rapid Transit (RAPID NW) line. The plan will focus on the three-mile, 12-station Classen Boulevard Corridor to identify better multi-modal connections, improve access for pedestrian and bicyclists, and accommodate higher-density development.

• The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in Santa Clara County, California, will receive $900,000 to plan for transit-oriented development near a downtown rail and bus station. The agency seeks to enhance accessibility and improve the area around Gilroy Station, currently served by Caltrain commuter rail and VTA buses that connect to San José and San Francisco.

Planning projects were selected for funding based on criteria described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. FTA received 32 eligible project proposals totaling nearly $30 million in requests.