Community and Economic Development

Business Services & Workforce Partnerships drives economic growth and fosters equity and inclusion by coordinating city efforts for neighborhood revitalization. The division supports small businesses, and businesses in Neighborhood Business Districts without active associations. Through programs focused on business development, workforce development, and increasing access to public contracting opportunities, the division promotes collaboration with community-based organizations to enhance economic vitality.

Business Services enhances the business climate through cross-departmental coordination, and by offering business assistance including small business loans and grants, guidance, and access to programs like the EDA Revolving Loan Fund.

Workforce Partnerships includes programs like the Local Employment & Apprenticeship Training Program (LEAP), Equity in Contracting (EIC), and Tacoma Training & Employment Program (TTEP). LEAP provides Tacoma residents with training for apprenticeships in building and construction trades, while EIC supports equitable participation by underutilized businesses in City contracts through procurement, education, and mentorship. These efforts create workforce opportunities, promote living-wage jobs, and strengthen women- and minority-owned businesses.

Economic Development Services provides business retention, expansion, and attraction services for employers through direct outreach and contracts with partner organizations. The division also facilitates real estate development activities and proactive marketing of public and private properties to support development opportunities. Over the past four years, the division has helped identify potential funding for development, including the Federal Opportunity Zone program and other public and private sources of equity and debt financing.

Other duties of the division include conducting research and providing information for businesses, supporting recruitment, and the facilitation of international trade and development activities. These activities are conducted through partnerships with other organizations and public sector agencies. Finally, the division administers the Multifamily Property Tax Exemption Program, which provides tax incentives for property owners that invest in market rate and affordable multifamily housing in the downtown or Mixed-Use Centers, and has oversight of the Downtown Tacoma Partnership, which operates the Business Improvement Area (BIA).

Housing Services provides financing through federal, state, and local resources to assist with the production and preservation of affordable housing throughout the city. The division seeks to finance non-profit housing developers and other housing organizations in coordination with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Housing Finance Commission, and Pierce County. The goal of these financing programs is to increase the number of affordable housing units for low- and very-low-income households in Tacoma.

In addition, the division provides down-payment assistance to income-eligible homebuyers in targeted areas of the city and offers housing repair and rehabilitation assistance to low-income seniors, families, and persons with disabilities. It also has responsibility for major components of the Affordable Housing Action Strategy foreclosure prevention services and funding, and partners with numerous other departments and TPU in its implementation. Finally, Housing Services oversees Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Partnership programs, two important federal programs that aim to increase affordable housing units.

The federally funded Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Washington Business Center delivers direct and consultant-based technical assistance and business development services to eligible minority-owned and small business enterprises throughout the state with a focus on Tacoma and the Puget Sound area. Through leveraging its resources, the MBDA-Washington Business Center complements and assists CED’s economic development activities and programs, including the City’s Equity in Contracting (EIC) program initiative.

Arts and culture are essential to Tacoma – enlivening its downtown core, contributing to the livability of its neighborhoods, and enhancing the quality of life of its residents and visitors. The Arts & Cultural Vitality Division supports the cultural sector in Tacoma in a variety of ways including funding programs, public art, professional development, and special programming.

The Tacoma Arts Commission and its staff play a vital role in supporting Tacoma’s arts and cultural programs. They encourage the development of the local arts community through the administration of funding programs for artists and arts-focused community projects, managing the City’s public art collection, and producing a variety of public programs, including Tacoma Arts Month and the Tacoma Poet Laureate program.

Tacoma Creates is a voter-approved initiative to increase access to arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences throughout Tacoma by reducing barriers to access and expanding offerings, particularly for underserved youth. Eligible non-profit arts, culture, heritage, and science organizations can apply for funding that helps them expand equitable access to public programs, increase opportunities in neighborhoods throughout Tacoma, expand educational options for youth, and build sustainability for ongoing cultural programs that provide value for people throughout the City of Tacoma. The Tacoma Creates Advisory Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Tacoma Creates staff on funding programs.

The City of Tacoma assures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin as provided by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI, and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 (P.L. 100.259) be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which the recipient receives Federal financial assistance for transit and highway projects conducted by the City of Tacoma.

Title VI Topics:

• Title VI Documentation
• Guides and How Tos

The Equity in Contracting program offers access to contracting and procurement opportunities, along with guidance and technical assistance, to historically underutilized businesses interested in supplying, servicing, and supporting public works for the City of Tacoma.