Thriving Communities Technical Assistance

HUD’s Thriving Communities Technical Assistance program will provide funding to technical assistance providers to help local governments ensure housing needs are considered as part of their larger infrastructure investment plans, while also supporting equitable development and local economic development ecosystems in Disadvantaged Communities (as defined in this NOFO). Through this NOFO, HUD is announcing the availability of $5 million in FY 2022 funding. HUD anticipates no fewer than two and no more than five awards for grantees to provide technical assistance (TA) to units of general local government (UGLGs) (as defined in this NOFO), which may also support the UGLGs’ work with non-profit and cross-sector partners serving Disadvantaged Communities. Using a wide range of eligible activities, HUD expects TA awardees under this NOFO to focus on assisting UGLGs in the following four areas: a) Identifying and using vacant, abandoned, or underutilized land located on or near transportation projects that is suitable for housing development (including land owned by federal, state, and local governmental entities as well as the private sector) to create  location-efficient housing. b) Preserving affordable housing and protecting residents and businesses from displacement as new infrastructure is deployed. c) Identifying and implementing regulatory and procedural reforms to reduce unnecessary barriers to location-efficient housing that impede housing production and increase development costs. d) Improving coordination both among public entities (for example, local housing, transportation, planning, and community development departments) and between public entities and state recipients of infrastructure funding; transit authorities and other quasi-public entities; the private sector; and locally-based organizations in ways that support a holistic and regional approach to housing and transportation.   The TA provided by awardees through this NOFO will respond to the local market conditions and context of the UGLG. The length and offerings of the TA engagement will be designed to ensure a measurable impact on the UGLG’s goals. To that end, HUD is seeking awardees that will take a localized, holistic approach to technical assistance, working across sectors and building local capacity.