The Obama Administration and Congress are taking unprecedented steps to promote equitable and sustainable communities through federal policy. RECENT DEVELOPMENT: The Obama Administration has established the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to support the implementation of a national approach and investment of resources to make regions more healthy, sustainable communities of opportunity. This partnership, which is between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency represents one of the pillars of the Administration’s placed-based agenda. Moving forward, congressional legislation is needed to embed this more equitable approach into the federal policy investment framework. Legislation like the Livable Communities Act, which was introduced in the 111th Congress (and is slated for re-introduction in the 112th Congress) would help towns and regions across the country plan and implement development projects that integrate their community’s needs for transportation, housing, land use, and economic development. PolicyLink is engaged in advocacy for federal policy that would sustain this historic partnership and the necessary investment to support the creation of sustainable communities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently announced the historic HUD-DOT-EPA interagency partnership grants. These grants will invest nearly $100 million 45 regions to allow public agencies and communities to plan for the integration of housing, transportation, infrastructure and environmental improvements. PolicyLink applauds the leadership of these agencies for creating the framework and resources to address the great challenges facing our communities by planning for future communities of opportunity. Hundreds of PolicyLink equity-advocate partners weighed in with HUD on the guidance of this program. Their best practice expertise informed and helped establish strong equity-focused criteria for the program.
PolicyLink will build on its Sustainable Communities Equity Guide to provide technical assistance to regions that will work to deliver communities of opportunity through equity-focused planning. Useful Resources See Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities page, in addition to the resources listed below. PolicyLink Featured in White House Office of Urban Affairs Newsletter (paragraph excerpted directly from newsletter)
WEBINARS: Sustainable Communities Grants for Equity and Health Sustainable Communities Grant Program: Opportunities for Public Health Leadership and Healthy Community Design (July 7)
To view the meeting archive, which contains more resources, click here. Speakers included Rajiv Bhatia, Director of Occupational and Environmental Health, San Francisco Department of Public Health; Karen Nikolai, Hennepin County (Minn.) Community Design Liaison; and Dwayne Marsh, Senior Advisor, HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities. This webinar was sponsored by PolicyLink, LISC, National Housing Conference, Reconnecting America, and Smart Growth America. Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities
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