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Let's Make Federal Funds Work for Our Communities

Billions in federal funds are flowing to cities and states to build sustainable infrastructure and address the climate crisis. But outdated regulations are keeping them from also using those funds to create good and equitable jobs close to home. It doesn’t have to be this way.

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Latest Updates

Birmingham Leverages Public Funding for the Most Public Good with Historic Local Hire Ordinance

Mar 18, 2025

A Local Hire Ordinance passed unanimously by the Birmingham, Alabama City Council in January is a perfect example of leveraging public goods for the most public good. Taxpayer dollars are funding the return of manufacturing to the United States through the $4...

OMB’s Uniform Grants Guidance Updates Take Effect Today, Empowering Communities and Workers

Oct 1, 2024

by Valerie Lizárraga Today, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)’s updates to the Uniform Grants Guidance released on April 4, 2024 officially go into effect. These are some of the most substantial changes to the Uniform Grants Guidance—which determines how...

Blog: Updated federal grant guidance will help create good jobs

Jul 5, 2024

The U.S. Department of Labor published a blog about the OMB's recent updates to the Uniform Grants Guidance, highlighting many of the updates the Local Opportunities Coalition advocated to include. Read the blog here.

"I got put into the welding department, where I will have an opportunity to become a welder, which is a great experience. I’ve already got my hand on the welding machine and done a little bit of training with one of my partners at work, which has been a blessing because I would never expect that I would be able to gain a trade like that. I always thought I would be a layman, a trade worker, and now I have the opportunity to grow, which is amazing because I’ve only been there for under three months"

Evan Coffin

"Even though we are in the middle of all these companies—because Back of the Yards is made up of and is said to be the neighborhood of the packing factories. A lot of our people don't benefit from the jobs that are so close...we have jobs all around us, but they don't give us a chance. You have to look for a job far away. That's why I would like things to change, that there would be opportunities close by."

Esmeralda de la Rosa