The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
is implementing a Sustainable Communities
Planning Grants Program. The goal of this program is to support
multi-jurisdictional regional planning efforts that integrate housing, economic
development, and transportation decision making in a manner that empowers
jurisdictions to simultaneously consider the interdependent challenges of
economic growth, social equity and environmental impact.
The program will make $100,000,000 available to support the
integration of housing, transportation and land use planning. Three funding
categories are being considered:
Funding to support the preparation of regional plans for
sustainable development
that address housing, economic development, transportation,
and environmental quality in an integrated fashion where such plans do not
currently exist
Funding to support the preparation of more detailed
execution plans and programs to
implement existing regional sustainable development plans that address housing, economic development, transportation, and environmental
quality in an integrated fashion
Implementation funding to support regions that have regional
sustainable development plans and implementation strategies in place and need
support for a catalytic
project or program that demonstrates commitment to and implementation
of the broader plan
HUD sought input from state and local governments, regional
bodies, community development entities, and a broad range of other stakeholders
on how the program should be structured in order to have the most meaningful
impact on regional planning for sustainable development.
Feedback will permit HUD and its partners to better
understand how this program can support cooperative regional planning efforts
that integrate housing, transportation, environmental impact, and economic
development.
HUD will award funding by soliciting proposals for the program
after consideration of comments obtained through the advance notice and in
outreach sessions.