This report is intended to provide an overview of the ways in which affordable housing preservation and development impact the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts Grant Process. It was written as a guide for Austin’s Project Connect, which is developing a high capacity urban transit project for three corridors: Riverside, Core, and Highland (“Austin New Starts Transit Project”). The information in this memo was derived from FTA’s New and Small Starts Evaluation and Rating Process Final Policy Guidance (August 2013), and FTA’s Guidelines for Land Use and Economic Development Effects for New Starts and Small Starts Projects (August 2013).