Join us for three days of learning, connecting, and celebrating at Main Street Now 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 7 – 9.
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Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.
Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.
Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America
Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!
Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo
Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.
Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
Main Street America expects to advocate for improvements to the Historic Tax Credit in 2025. © Downtown Sykesville Connection
The inauguration of a new Presidential Administration is just a few days away. Members of Congress are taking their seats and defining priorities for the new session. At the state level, sessions are kicking off, and Governors are making their priorities known through budget requests. Many local governments are building budgets continuing the work of councils and committees that form local governance structures.
Main Street has a place in all of these conversations.
At the federal level, Main Street America is monitoring policy activity that affects Main Street and advocating for programs that will help local leaders improve their communities. The end of the 118th Congress (2023−2024) brought a few key victories and new proposals that have the potential to improve our communities.
In December, Congress reauthorized the Economic Development Administration (EDA) through a larger piece of legislation, a major victory for economic development advocates. Congress had not reauthorized it in over twenty years. The reauthorization changes how the agency works, including several updates of importance to Main Street:
Additionally, the EXPLORE Act became law in early January. This legislation improves outdoor recreation programs, including codifying the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program, which helps build parks in underserved communities. The OLRP program will now have lower population thresholds and expanded eligibility for tribal lands.
In the final days of the 118th Congress, Representatives Mike Ezell (MS-04) and Troy Carter (LA-02) introduced the bipartisan Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program. This bill would create a new funding source to provide technical assistance and pass-through capacity-building grants to local organizations supporting a business district’s revitalization.
And, thanks to the dedicated advocacy of advocates in West Virginia and Virginia, Senators Shelley Moore Capito and the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act. This legislation would strengthen the Historic Tax Credit for small projects and make it easier to use, including making the tax credit transferrable for these projects.
At the end of the Congress, both of these bills are considered “sine die,” or dead, but Main Street America will continue to advocate for them.
The incoming Administration’s priorities include improving government efficiency and passing a large tax package. In 2025, Main Street America expects to advocate for sustaining funding programs such as the Community Development Block Grant and the Historic Preservation Fund that improve Main Street districts.
Additionally, 2025 is considered the “Super Bowl” of taxes. A tax package passed through the reconciliation process may include many provisions, including improvements to the Historic Tax Credit. As this legislation progresses, we will call on Main Street leaders to advocate for improvements to the credit, like those included in the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act and the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act.
The first step you can take? Interested advocates can join our partners at the National Trust Community Investment Corporation in raising their voices through the 1000 Actions in 100 Days campaign. Sign up here to receive talking points, contact information, and alerts.
Main Street America supports new proposed legislation to strengthen organizations that support small businesses and commercial districts.
Learn how your Main Street can support voters, manage relationships, and impact policy during and after the election.
Learn how Main Streets can tap into federal resources to improve transportation infrastructure, take down barriers, and improve access to key services.
The RAISE program funds surface transportation projects with local and regional impact by enhancing safety, mobility, sustainability, and economic growth.
Streetscape improvements can make a big difference for Main Streets. © Grant Harper
Apply for federal funding to remove, retrofit, or mitigate transportation infrastructure that creates barriers to community connectivity.
Streets play an important role in our downtown districts. Learn more about Main Street America's recent work with the Department of Transportation to promote vibrant and sustainable downtown roadways.
Understanding the Advisory Council on Historic Preservations report on federal historic preservation standards.
Toccoa, GA © Steph Maley
Michael Jarosz, Coordinator of Government Relations, provides details on this productive day on the Hill and offers insights into the impacts that are already emerging from their advocacy efforts.
Learn how the HUD Pro Housing Program and other opportunities can help you increase affordable housing in your community.
Learn how Majd Alsaif, Celeste Constancio, and Leilani Commons supported Main Street America this summer.
Learn how you can participate in the Thriving Communities program as a capacity builder or how you can receive support from the program.
Learn how the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) and the Clean Communities Accelerator Fund (CCIA) will pump billions of dollars into reducing carbon emissions from the built environment in the coming years.
Main Street America is leading a coalition urging that the EPA make available the GGRF funds for adaptive reuse and location-efficient projects because of the substantial greenhouse gas emissions reduction offered by such developments.
Learn the results of our Capitol Hill Day, the first to bring Main Street leaders together around a Main Street-focused agenda.
Community Development Block Grants are powerful tools for Main Street programs. Learn more about how CDBG's can be applied to our work and how you can advocate for the program
Two years after the American Rescue Plan Act, we are celebrating successful Main Street projects and sharing lessons learned in advocating for federal funds.
Key advocacy and policy updates from the 2023 Omnibus Spending Bill.
Kelly Humrichouser, Director of Government Relations, shares a short guide on how you can reach out to your representatives and engage them in a conversation about the importance of your work.
Main Street America is proud to support the Revitalizing Small and Local Businesses Act
How do those amazing Main Street rehabilitation projects happen? And what policies and public support make them happen? In the Behind the Ribbon Cutting series, we look at a project or businesses from concept to opening day to break down the partnerships and funding brought to bear and recognize how we can advocate for policies and resources for revitalization across the country.
Astoria, OR © ADHDA
Main Streets and small businesses are benefiting from the strategic use of ARPA State and Local Recovery Funds through the advocacy and innovation of local leaders and decision-makers.
San Marcos, TX © Andy Heatwole
Learn more about small business needs in the pandemic.
The Brookings Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking released a new series of research briefs focused on the role that place governance organizations, like Main Street programs, play in revitalizing rural downtowns and promoting equitable rural economic and community development.
Many Main Streets serve as gateways to national parks and find a significant portion of their tourism economy tied to the well-being of the nearest national park.
After more than five years of consistent advocacy, the 20 percent historic tax credit (HTC) has survived the most significant rewrite of the tax code in more than 30 years.
In the midst of this human and cultural disaster, the Main Street program, managed by the Ellicott City Partnership, collaborated with Preservation Maryland to provide a variety of disaster relief financing that helped expedite the recovery.
As Main Street practitioners, our work is constantly impacted by decisions made by governing bodies at the local, state and federal level.
We measure the effectiveness of our last marketing campaign, weigh whether the investment in new street lights outweigh the political capital spent, and debate if the thousands of volunteer hours are worth the impacts created by a one-day event.
