On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced it had awarded $21.15 million in federal grants to 64 communities to help them access federal funding for infrastructure projects.
The grants fund technical assistance to under-resourced and disadvantaged communities as part of the Thriving Communities Program. This is the first year of a two-year program that provides no-cost assistance to the communities. Many of the awardees were communities that had previously submitted applications for federal funding but were unsuccessful because they lacked the resources needed to complete the applications.
“The historic investments we are making in America’s infrastructure must reach the communities that need them the most,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “With the new Thriving Communities program, we are helping under-resourced communities better access federal funding for transportation projects that will create jobs, improve safety, and strengthen their economies.”
The grants will help the communities with everything from preparing application materials and predevelopment activities to deploying innovative community engagement, workforce development, and clean technology strategies. Committees interested in the program were asked to submit letters of interest and were selected through a competitive process. Applicants, especially small, rural, and Tribal communities, were prioritized by projects to improve health outcomes, reduce housing and transportation cost burden and improve housing conditions, to preserve or expand jobs, and to increase mobility options.
“Growing an inclusive and stable economy requires technical assistance that helps communities develop and advance projects that connect people to the resources they need,” Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy Christopher Coes said.