Sustainable Communities Initiative

Sustainable Communities Planning Grants Announced

On November 21, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced awards for the 2011 Sustainable Communities Regional Planning and Community Challenge Grants, totaling nearly $96 million across 31 states. These grants are aimed toward helping communities and regions improve their economic competiveness by connecting housing, employment, quality schools, and transportation. This year’s awards were matched by leveraged local funds, representing a $211 million investment in community planning throughout the United States.

Approximately $67.2 million in Regional Planning Grants was awarded to 29 regions across 16 states to support regional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure in order to create more jobs and economic opportunities. According to HUD, the program will place a priority on partnerships, including the collaboration of arts and culture, philanthropy, and innovative ideas in the regional planning process. Additionally, a total of $28.6 million in Community Challenge Grants were awarded to 27 communities and organizations across 17 states to support specific planning activities that address local challenges to integrating transportation, employment and housing. A complete list of the grant awards can be found on the HUD Sustainable Housing and Communities website: HERE

This is the second round of Sustainable Communities Planning grants awarded since this program was established in June of 2009. In 2010, HUD awarded approximately $100 million to 45 regions that are currently moving forward with Regional Plans for Sustainable Development. The demand for sustainable planning efforts remains strong, with applications for funding from all 50 states totaling over $500 million in this year’s application cycle.

WRT congratulates all of the grant recipients, including the County of Erie Pennsylvania, whose grant application package WRT assisted in preparing. Erie County is part of a consortium of partners that will receive $1.8 million in funding to develop the Destination Erie Regional Plan for Sustainable Development. This was the region's first grant application, and one of two regional planning grants awarded in Pennsylvania this year (The Lehigh Valley received the other).










Contact

If you are interested in learning more about how WRT can assist your community in planning for a sustainable future, please contact Principal David Rouse 215-772-1465 drouse@ph.wrtdesign.com or Senior Associate Robert Kerns 215-430-5088 rkerns@ph.wrtdesign.com

 

The Future of Sustainable Communities Funding

Since the U.S Departments of Environmental Protection, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development formed the Partnership for Sustainable Communities in 2009, over $500 million in funding to support livability investments has been awarded across the country. The future of this funding is in doubt as federal budgets continue to experience significant cuts, but evidence of support for the Partnership’s programs remains strong.

The Partnership is based on the goal of aligning federal policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration. Working together, the Partnership has created new funding opportunities over the past few years aimed at promoting core principles of livability in communities and regions:

  • EPA has created a grant program for area-wide plans for the reuse of formerly contaminated properties and targeted technical assistance to communities tackling growth and development issues;
  • HUD has funded Sustainable Community Regional Planning Grants to support in regional planning and Community Challenge Planning Grants that support local planning and integrates transportation, housing, and economic development; and
  • DOT has issued TIGER Grants to fund innovative surface transportation projects that can improve communities’ quality of life while advancing broader transportation goals.

    • The U.S. Congress and Senate have reached agreement on portions of the FY 2012 budget, including funding for HUD and DOT. The consensus “minibus” bill did not renew funding for the HUD’s Sustainable Communities grant programs. Funding for the TIGER Grants program remained at $500 million for 2012, ensuring funding for new infrastructure investments that prioritize rail, highway and transit projects to improve or expand existing systems.

    According to Geoffrey Anderson of Smart Growth for America, the conferees from the House and Senate responsible for reaching the budget consensus “expressed strong support for the Partnership’s work.” This affirmation of value - also reflected in the $500+ million in requests for 2011 grants - provides hope that some level of funding for Sustainable Community Planning Grants may be restored in 2013.