Transit Oriented
Development

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a unique approach to preserving and creating affordable housing options so low- to moderate-income families can afford to live near—and benefit from—quality public transit.

Our Commitment

In June 2021, Amazon announced a $300 million commitment to partner with public transit agencies and support the creation of 3,000 new affordable homes near high-capacity public transit areas across the Fund’s three geographies. As of August 2022, over 1,200 new affordable units have entered the pre-construction or construction phase of development.

Amazon’s TOD commitments also focus on promoting equity across racial and economic lines and offer a double benefit to low- to moderate-income families by providing easy access to quality transit that connects them to the rest of the region. Among those investments, the Fund committed $100 million to developers working with Sound Transit in Washington state; $125 million to developers working with Metro in the Arlington, Virginia-Washington, D.C. area; and $75 million to developers near WeGo Public Transit locations in Nashville, with the goal of creating 800 affordable homes near active transit corridors in each location by or near 2026.

a monorail train traveling through downtown Seattle

$300 Million

Committed to Public Transit Agencies by Amazon

DMV (Arlington)

Puget Sound

Nashville

Estimated Units Generated by 2050

1,000

1,200

800

The Fund’s Financial Commitment

$125M, $25M of which is dedicated to minority-led organizations

$100M, $25M of which is dedicated to pre-development funding

$75Mfor affordable housing developments within 1⁄2 mile of high-capacity transit corridors

Regional Public Transit Agency

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Sound Transit

WeGo

Why Transportation?

According to research from the Center for Neighborhood Technology, only 55% of U.S. neighborhoods are affordable to the neighborhood’s typical household.

However, when transportation costs are taken into consideration, only 26% of U.S. neighborhoods are actually affordable to a typical household. Furthermore, a 2019 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that nationally, the average household spends 13% of their income on transportation costs (the second highest expense after housing.) This percentage increases for households making 80% of area median income and below—households that are disproportionately in communities of color. These statistics emphasize the need for quality housing that is affordable near public transportation.