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.
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$300 Million
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.
Transit Partnership Project Locations
- New Carrollton (New Carrollton, MD)
- College Park (College Park, MD)
- Congress Heights (Washington, DC)
- Angle Lake (SeatTac, WA)
- Spring District (Bellevue, WA)
Transit-Adjacent Projects (within ½ mile of high-capacity transit corridors)
- Spring Hill (Tysons Corner, VA)
- Capital Heights (Capitol Heights, MD)
- Envision Cayce Place (Nashville, TN)
- Lindsley Avenue (Nashville, TN)
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Transit Oriented Development By Region
Learn more about the transit partnerships in each region.

Puget Sound Region,WA

Arlington VA/Washington DC Region

Nashville, TN Region
Related
News & Announcements


Amazon’s $2 billion Housing Equity Fund announces new investments
