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Thriving Communities Technical Assistance (TCTA) Program
Overview
HUD's Thriving Communities Technical Assistance (TCTA) program will help local governments ensure housing needs are considered as part of their larger infrastructure investment. TCTA is designed to support the coordination and integration of transportation and housing in infrastructure planning and implementation.
How can TCTA Help Your Community?
State, local, and tribal communities are receiving federal funding to invest in a range of infrastructure projects, including transportation, water systems, high-speed internet accessibility, environmental remediation, and electric grids. Jurisdictions can leverage these infrastructure investments to revitalize communities and create economic opportunities for residents and businesses. Access to affordable, high-quality housing is an essential component of community revitalization and must be considered in conjunction with transportation to ensure beneficial development. TCTA provides local governments with guidance and tailored resources to effectively coordinate and integrate transportation and housing during project planning and implementation.
TCTA Focus Areas
TCTA assists local governments by providing services on the following four topic areas:
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).
- Project Example - Rockford, IL: The City of Rockford is using a USDOT grant for the Rockford Complete Streets Revitalization project, which will connect the east and west of downtown Rockford and bring bicycle and pedestrian improvements by reconfiguring the Whitman Street Interchange. This reconfiguration presents an opportunity to leverage previously underutilized land to address the need for more affordable housing. TCTA is providing city staff with strategies for convening stakeholders, including residents, elected officials, government agencies, nonprofits, and private sector entities, to gather input on the City's housing needs, with a goal of creating an actionable housing plan for this underutilized area that has community support.
Preserving affordable housing and small businesses as new infrastructure is deployed.
- Project Example – Redmond, WA: The City of Redmond is receiving TCTA to identify strategies to keep housing affordable. The city faces significant housing cost pressures related to the economic growth in the Puget Sound region, which may be exacerbated by an extension of two light rail projects. With recent funding from USDOT, the city will gain four light rail stations that will improve affordable transit, as well as a shared use path that will improve pedestrian and bicycle access. These transportation improvements will add to the challenges of meeting housing demand, particularly for lower income residents. TCTA is providing city staff with tools to mitigate displacement of residents and small businesses, respond to resident concerns, and address development needs. An important component is developing trust with residents concerned about the changes accompanying new transit stations.
Improving coordination both among public entities 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 comprehensive regional approach to housing and transportation.
- Project Example – Syracuse, NY: In 2023, construction began on Syracuse's Interstate 81 viaduct removal project, supported by a USDOT planning grant. As part of the highway demolition, the city is integrating affordable housing and public infrastructure redevelopment into its revitalization plans. Executing on this strategy requires Syracuse city officials to collaborate with multiple government agencies and local communities. TCTA is helping city staff develop strategies for coordinating timelines and messaging across the housing and transportation projects. In addition, TCTA providers are helping city officials strengthen community engagement with the strategy.
Identifying and implementing regulatory and procedural reforms to reduce unnecessary barriers to housing that impede housing production and increase development costs.
- Project Example – Sun Prairie, WI: The City of Sun Prairie is receiving TCTA to build support for zoning reforms to allow density increases near new transportation routes. The City recently began providing local bus service and will be adding Bus Rapid Transit, funded under USDOT's Capital Investment Grants program, in late 2024. This service will connect higher density housing with employment centers, retail areas, schools, transportation nodes, and the downtown area, and will improve access to Madison, WI. City staff are working to build community support and strong partnerships as they face the challenges of retrofitting a bus system for a developed suburban area. TCTA is supporting city planning staff in developing skills to effectively communicate with residents about land use decisions, while hearing and responding to local concerns. The goal is to convey the rationale for increasing density and adopt a holistic housing, transportation and land use plan. TCTA will also help city staff identify best practices to update and align housing, transportation, and land use plans and zoning regulations.
Technical Assistance Approaches
TCTA individualizes its services to assist local governments based on their project needs, timeline, and current capacity. Right now, TCTA can provide support via on-call technical assistance or in-depth assistance. After submitting a TCTA request form (if eligibility criteria are met), jurisdiction staff will talk with TCTA staff to determine which TA approach most effectively meets their needs. Both TA approaches include access to training, tools, and other resources that will help support a local government as it aligns housing and transportation investments.
Are you Eligible to Receive TCTA?
TCTA services are available to units of general local government (UGLG) that meet all the following criteria:
- are receiving, or will receive, transportation funding, either directly or through a state pass-through, with priority given to those receiving competitive funds;
- want to address identified housing needs;
- want to work on at least one of the four TCTA areas;
- and are committed to community engagement to ensure residents and businesses benefit from the transportation investment.
Priority will be given to jurisdictions with populations of less than 250,000 people.
A unit of general local government (UGLG) is any city, county, town, township, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State or territory. For the purposes of this program, this includes tribal governments.
Local governments are encouraged to work with regional organizations (such as a Metropolitan Planning Organization), non-profits, philanthropy, or other cross-sector partnerships, but the request for TCTA must be made by the local government.
If your jurisdiction is not yet ready for TCTA, future TA opportunities will be available. TA requests are reviewed on a rolling basis, limited by the TA providers' capacity.
Requests will be reviewed as they are received on a rolling basis.
Apply here: https://forms.office.com/g/qpfE3FKjBU
Content current as of April 11, 2025
Tools created for TCTA participants will be publicly shared to benefit governments throughout the country, even if you aren't receiving TCTA directly. Visit the TCTA HUD Exchange Website for more information on TCTA tools and resources.
Visit the TCTA website on HUD Exchange to learn more about TCTA participants and how HUD TA Providers are supporting work in these communities.
Interested in learning more?
Email us at: thrivingcommunitiesTA@hud.gov
