Cortez Masto Promotes Legislation to Spur Local Economic Growth, Job Creation by Connecting Affordable Housing and Access to Public Transit

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) cosponsored legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) that creates a federal grant program to incentivize the coordinated development of affordable housing and transit. The Livable Communities Act of 2021 encourages local communities to partner strategically to develop bold, innovative solutions that reflect their unique character, while leveraging existing assets, including access to transit, to help revitalize neighborhoods, spur economic development, create jobs, and address their affordable housing needs.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), low-income families who lived away from employment centers spent 40 percent of their income on transportation costs. As a result, working families living in underserved and majority-minority communities have less access to good-paying jobs.

“Having access to public transportation can make all the difference for working families, allowing residents to commute to their jobs, pick up groceries, and easily get around town. I’m committed to ensuring that all Nevadans have the tools they need to help their families thrive.”

Senator Cortez Masto is a leader in the Senate working to create affordable housing opportunities in Nevada and across the country. She recently introduced the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act to ensure future growth in the region is done responsibly and sustainably in accordance with local climate mitigation initiatives and to promote the construction of affordable housing in Clark County. She has routinely promoted a comprehensive approach that prioritizes solutions that make Nevada’s communities livable and accessible for working families. She led a bill that encourages cities to integrate transportation between homes and jobs for easier commuting, introduced multiple pieces of legislation promoting transportation solutions, and worked across the aisle to help rural communities fund and improve local infrastructure like public transit.

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