TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07) announced Douglas and San Luis, Arizona as U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) funding recipients for the Thriving Communities program which provides two years of no-cost intensive technical assistance to under-resourced and disadvantaged communities to help identify, develop, and deliver transportation projects that strengthen communities as designated under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The Biden administration recently announced $21.15 million to help 64 communities, including San Luis and Douglas.

San Luis and Douglas were selected as “Networked Communities”, or communities located near ports, airports, freight, and rail facilities with specific technical assistance needed to address mobility, access, housing, environmental justice and economic issues.

“For communities to be competitive for federal resources, it’s critical that we equip them with the tools, knowledge and capacity to apply for them,” said Rep. Grijalva. “As Douglas and San Luis seek to apply for additional federal funds for projects to improve their communities, my office is ready to assist.”

In the first year of this program a large proportion of the communities selected had submitted previous applications for federal funding that were unsuccessful in large part because they did not have the same resources to complete their applications. The Thriving Communities Program will grow the pipeline of communities that can successfully compete for federal funding. 

Thriving Communities funding will help selected communities get technical assistance for a variety of tasks – from preparing application materials and predevelopment activities, to deploying innovative community engagement, workforce development, and clean technology strategies. Interested communities submitted Letters of Interest for support and were selected through a competitive process. 

The Thriving Communities Program is one of the USDOT programs covered under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative. 

More information about the Thriving Communities Program and selected communities is available HERE.