You are here: EPA Home Office of Policy Office of Sustainable Communities Smart Growth Newsroom

HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership fo r Sustainable Communities 

# Smart Growth

Contact Us Search: All EPA This Area n m l k j n m l k j i Go



# HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable

Communities

Updates

Background

Livability Principles

Partnership Agreement

Resources for Communities



## Updates

On October 21, 2010, Director of the White

House Policy Council Melody Barnes, EPA

Administrator Lisa Jackson, DOT Secretary Ray

LaHood, and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan

held a joint press conference to highlight the

grants and other assistance recently announced by the Partnership agencies

. White House press release: Partnership for Sustainable Communities Awards Grants to

Build Infrastructure Nationwide

White House blog post: Building Stronger, Sustainable Communities Through Strategic

Coordination

On October 20, 2010, HUD and DOT announced nearly $68 million in grants to

62 local and regional partnerships to help stimulate a new generation of

sustainable and livable communities th at connect housing, employment, and

economic development with transpor tation and other infrastructure

improvements . HUD is awarding $40 million in Sustainable Community Challenge

Grants to help support local planning design ed to integrate afford able housing, good

jobs, and public transportation. DOT is awarding nearly $28 million in TIGER II

Planning Grants to implement plans that lead to projects that integrate transportation,

housing and economic development. HUD press release: HUD and DOT Award $68

Million to Create Sustainable Livable Communities

HUD press release: HUD and DOT Award $68 Million to Create Sustainable Livable

Communities

On October 20, 2010, DOT announced the recipients of $600 million in TIGER

II grants

. DOT press release: Secretary LaHood Announces More Than 70 Innovative

Transportation Projects Competitively Funded Under TIGER II

On October 19, 2010, EPA announced that, in collaboration with HUD and

DOT, it will provide technical assist ance to seven communities through the

Smart Growth Implementation Assistan ce program, as well as a special

assistance project with Concord, NH

. Press release: EPA to Provide Technical Assistance on Sustainable Growth and

Development

SGIA Communities Selected in 2010

Concord, NH, Technical Assistance Project

On October 14, 2010, EPA announced th at it is awarding $4 million in Smart Growth Home

Basic Information

Publications

Grants and Funding

Making Smart Growth

Happen

Resources

Newsroom

Where You Live

Related Links Share 

### Page 1 of 6 HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainabl e Communities | Smart Growth | US EPA

12/1/2010 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/smart g rowth/ p artnershi p /index.htmlassistance to 23 communities , many in underserved and economically

disadvantaged areas, to develop area-wide plans for the reuse of brownfields

properties. HUD and DOT will collaborate with EPA to help these communities create a

shared vision for brownfields redevelopment.

Press release: EPA Awards $4 Million For Brownfields

On October 14, 2010, HUD announced that it is awarding nearly $100 million

in Sustainable Communities Regional Plan ning Grants to support more livable

and sustainable communities across the country . Forty-five regional areas will

receive funding through a new initiative inte nded to build economic competitiveness by

connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation.

HUD press release: HUD Awards Nearly $100 Million in New Grants to Promote

Smarter and Sustainable Planning for Jobs and Economic Growth

On October 14, 2010, HUD announced the first recipi ents of the Sustainable

Communities and Regional Planning Grant Program . Across the US, 45 regional

areas will receive part of the nearly $100 million in funding. This new program will

assist State, local, and tribal governments to create and implement regional plans that

integrate affordable housing, economic deve lopment, land use and transportation to

build livable, sustainable communities. As part of the Administration’s Partnership for

Sustainable Communities, both EPA and DOT helped develop this program and

reviewed applications.

In October 2010, the Partnership released Partnership for Sustainable

Communities: A Year of Progress for Am erican Communities (PDF) (16 pp,

1.8MB, About PDF ) , a report on the progress the Partnership has made in its first year in

targeting resources to help communities st rengthen their economies by developing

more sustainably, removing regulatory and policy barriers to make it easier for state

and local governments to access federal resources, and aligning the agencies' policies

and priorities.

On July 15, 2010, the White House hosted an online chat to discuss the

progress that the Partnership for Sustainable Communities is making . Derek

Douglas, Special Assistant to the President on Urban Policy at the White House,

moderated the panel, which included Shelley Poticha, Director for the Office of

Sustainable Housing and Communities at HU D; Beth Osborne, Deputy Secretary for

Policy at DOT; and Tim Torma, Deputy Director of the Office of Sustainable

Communities at EPA. The panel took audien ce questions that ranged from creating

more affordable home s near transit stations to improving stormwater management.

Video of the hour

- long chat is available here

.

On July 9, 2010, HUD, DOT, and EPA re presentatives posted an update on the

Partnership for Sustainable Communities on the White House blog

.

HUD launched a $100 million Sustainabl e Communities Regional Planning

Grant program , designed to create stronger, more sustainable communities by

connecting housing to jobs, fostering local innovation and building a clean energy

economy. The Regional Planning grants will be awarded competitively to multijurisdictional and multi-sector partnerships as well as regional consortia consisting of

state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, educational

institutions, non-profit organizations and philanthropic organizations. Grant

applications, which will be reviewed not only by HUD, but also by DOT and EPA, were

due August 23, 2010. The funding announcement is available for reference only on

HUD's web site. Recipients of these grants will be announced in the fall of 2010.

Press Release: HUD Secretary Donovan Announces $100 Million in Grants Available as

Part of New Sustainable Regional Planning Grant Program (06/10)

DOT and HUD, for the first time ever, are joining forces to award up to $75

million in funding – $35 million in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating 

### Page 2 of 6 HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainabl e Communities | Smart Growth | US EPA

12/1/2010 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/smart g rowth/ p artnershi p /index.htmlEconomic Recovery) II Planning Grants and $40 million in Sustainable Community

Challenge Grants for planning activities that lead to projects that integrate

transportation, housing and economic de velopment. Many projects may include

components that fall under both grant programs. Rather than have applicants go

through two separate grant application pr ocedures, this joint notice of funding

availability creates one point of entry to federal resources. The application period

closed August 23. The notice of funding availability is available for reference only on

HUD's web site. Recipients of these grants will be announced in the fall of 2010.

Press Release: USDOT and HUD Launch Groundbreaking, Co llaborative Effort to Create

Sustainable, Livable Communities (06/10)

Partnership In Action April 2010 (PDF) (2 pp, 345K, About PDF )

Information about recent Partnership efforts

Partnership In Action February 2010 (PDF) (2 pp, 294K, About PDF )

Information about recent Partnership efforts

US DOT Announces Transportation Investment Generating Economic

Recovery (TIGER) Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation an nounced $1.5 billion in TIGER Grant funding

for over 50 high-priority, innovative transportation projects across the country. The

projects, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will create

thousands of jobs all over the country and help get the economy back on track. The

TIGER grant program targets major national and regional transportation projects that

are in many cases difficult to pursue through other government funding programs.

Selected projects must foster job creation, show strong economic benefits, and

promote communities that are safer, cleaner and more livable. The projects selected

for TIGER grants are diverse. They range in size from under $4 million to over $100

million, and are found in both rural and urban communities from Alaska to Maine and

Hawaii to South Carolina. The projects are distributed throughout 41 states and the

District of Columbia. Read more...

Press release: EPA Announces New Support for Sustainable Communities New office,

pilot programs to help communities minimize their environmental impact and increase

economic opportunity (02/10)

Brownfields pilots

Partnership In Action January 2010 (PDF) (2 pp, 272K, About PDF )

Top of page



## Background

On June 16, 2009, EPA joined with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

(HUD) and the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to help improve access to affordable

housing, more transportation options, and lo wer transportation costs while protecting the

environment in communities nationwide. Through a set of guiding livability principles and a

partnership agreement that will guide the agenci es' efforts, this partnership will coordinate

federal housing, transportation, and other infrastructure investments to protect the

environment, promote equitable development, and help to address the challenges of climate

change.

Read the Partnership Agreement (2 pp, 60K, About PDF )

.

Read the EPA Press Release

Read Administrator Lisa Jackson's testimony of June 16, 2009 (PDF) (13 pp, 45K, About 

### Page 3 of 6 HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainabl e Communities | Smart Growth | US EPA

12/1/2010 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/smart g rowth/ p artnershi p /index.htmlPDF )

.

Read HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan's testimony of June 16, 2009 (PDF) (9 pp, 59K,

About PDF )

Read DOT Secretary Ray LaHood's testimony of June 16, 2009 (PDF) (10 pp, 57K, About

PDF )

Watch the June 16 Senate Banking Committe e hearing with EPA Administrator Lisa

Jackson, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, and DOT Secretary Ray LaHood (Video)

.

In September 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood,

and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan visited Chicago, Dubuque, and Denver on a

Sustainable Communities Tour. Read the press releases about the tour:

Administration Officials Visit Chicago, Dubuque on Sustainable Communities

Tour (9/17/09)

Administration Officials Wrap Up Sustainable Communities Tour with Denver

Visit; EPA, DOT, HUD and White House Urban Affairs officials announce

additional proposals to support sustainable communities (9/18/09)

Top of page



## Livability Principles

Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable, and economical

transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation’s

dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and

promote public health.

Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient

housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities to increase

mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through

reliable and timely access to employment ce nters, educational opportunities, services

and other basic needs by workers, as well as expanded business access to markets.

Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing

communities—through strategies like transit oriented, mixed-use development, and

land recycling—to increase community revita lization and the efficiency of public works

investments and safeguard rural landscapes.

Coordinate and leverage fede ral policies and investment. Align federal policies

and funding to remove barriers to collaborat ion, leverage funding, and increase the

accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth,

including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy

Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all

communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods—rural, urban,

or suburban.

Top of page



## Partnership Agreement Page 4 of 6 HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainabl e Communities | Smart Growth | US EPA

12/1/2010 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/smart g rowth/ p artnershi p /index.htmlThe HUD/DOT/EPA partnership will:

Enhance integrated pla nning and investment. The partnership will seek to

integrate housing, transportation, water infrastructure, and land use planning and

investment. HUD, EPA, and DOT propose to make planning grants available to

metropolitan areas and create mechanisms to ensure those plans are carried through

to localities.

Provide a vision for sustainable growth. This effort will help communities set a

vision for sustainable growth and apply federal transportation, water infrastructure,

housing, and other investments in an integrated approach that reduces the nation's

dependence on foreign oil, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, protects America's air

and water, and improves quality of life. Coordinating planning efforts in housing,

transportation, air quality, and water—including planning cycles, processes, and

geographic coverage—will make more effective use of federal housing and

transportation dollars.

Redefine housing affordabilit y and make it transparent. The partnership will

develop federal housing affordability measures that include housing and transportation

costs and other expenses that are affected by location choices. Although

transportation costs now approach or exceed housing costs for many working families,

federal definitions of housing affordability do not recognize the strain of soaring

transportation costs on homeowners and rent ers who live in areas isolated from work

opportunities and transportation choices. The partnership will redefine affordability to

reflect those costs, improve the considerat ion of the cost of utilities, and provide

consumers with enhanced information to help them make housing decisions.

Redevelop underutilized sites. The partnership will work to achieve critical

environmental justice goals and other envi ronmental goals by targeting development

to locations that already have infrastruc ture and offer transportation choices.

Environmental justice is a particular concern in areas where disinvestment and past

industrial use caused pollution and a legacy of contaminated or abandoned sites. This

partnership will help return such sites to productive use.

Develop livability measures and tools. The partnership will research, evaluate, and

recommend measures that indicate the liva bility of communities, neighborhoods, and

metropolitan areas. These measures could be adopted in subsequent integrated

planning efforts to benchmark existing co nditions, measure prog ress toward achieving

community visions, and increase account ability. HUD, DOT, and EPA will help

communities attain livability goals by deve loping and providing analytical tools to

evaluate progress, as well as state and local technical assistance programs to remove

barriers to coordinated housing, transportation, and environmental protection

investments. The partnership will develop incentives to encourage communities to

implement, use, and publicize the measures.

Align HUD, DOT, and EPA programs. HUD, DOT, and EPA will work to assure that

their programs maximize the benefits of their combined investments in our

communities for livability, affordability, en vironmental excellence, and the promotion

of green jobs of the future. HUD and DOT will work together to identify opportunities

to better coordinate their programs and encourage location efficiency in housing and

transportation choices. HUD, DOT, and EPA will also share information and review

processes to facilitate better-informed decisions and coordinate investments.

Undertake joint research, data collection, and outreach. HUD, DOT, and EPA will

engage in joint research, data collection, and outreach efforts with stakeholders to

develop information platforms and analytic tools to track housing and transportation

options and expenditures, establish standardized and efficient performance measures,

and identify best practices. 

### Page 5 of 6 HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainabl e Communities | Smart Growth | US EPA

12/1/2010 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/smart g rowth/ p artnershi p /index.htmlEPA Home Privacy and Security Notice Contact

Us

http://www.epa.gov/s martgrowth/partner ship/index.html

Print As

- Is

Last updated on Thursd ay, November 04, 2010

This document will now print as it appears on screen when you use the File » Print command.

Use View » Refresh to retu rn to original state. Top of page



## Resources for Communities

Tools and Key Resources for Sustainable Communities

Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs for Sustainable

Communities (PDF) (16 pp, 1.6MB, About PDF )

Top of page

Smart Growth Home | Site Map 

### Page 6 of 6 HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainabl e Communities | Smart Growth | US EPA

12/1/2010 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/smart g rowth/ p artnershi p /index.html

# A YEAR OF PROGRESS FOR

AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 

# Sustainable Partnership

for



# Communities

# When it comes to housing, environmental,

and transportation policy, the federal

government must speak with one voice.

—Secretary Shaun Donovan

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 

# “ ”

Livability means being able to take your kids to

school, go to work, see a doctor, drop by the grocery

or post office, go out to dinner and a movie, and

play with your kids at the park, all without having

to get into your car. Livability means building the

communities that help Americans live the lives

they want to live—whether those communities are

urban centers, small towns, or rural areas.

—Secretary Ray LaHood

U.S. Department of Transportation 

# “ ”

Well-conceived, effectively implemented

environmental protection is good for

economic growth.... A clean, green, healthy

community is a better place to buy a home

and raise a family; it’s more competitive in

the race to attract new businesses; and it has

the foundations it needs for prosperity.

—Administrator Lisa P. Jackson

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

# “ ”PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES  Progress for American Communities 

### 1



### One of our country’s most pressing goals is

to build an economy that provides good jobs

now—and that creates a strong foundation

for enduring prosperity. To accelerate job

growth for this and future generations, that

foundation must be built with expanded

housing and transportation choices, greater

energy independence, and better protection

for our clean air and water. These issues are

closely related and should not be tackled as

separate challenges. We can achieve our eco

nomic, social, and environmental goals most

effectively when we work on them together.

Sustainable communities are places that

balance their economic and natural assets

so that the diverse needs of local residents

can be met now and in the future. Typically,

these communities have lower costs for con

sumers and more value for taxpayers because

they are more connected and efficient.

Sustainable communities provide economic

momentum and help America compete

more effectively for jobs. Regions all around

the country recognize this and are enthusi

astically planning for them based on their

own local resources, landscape, culture, and

ingenuity. The Partnership for Sustainable

Communities, one of the Obama Adminis

tration’s signature urban policy initatives, is

enabling these regions to accelerate those

plans and to jump-start private investment

and implementation. Ultimately, this approach will make com

munities more prosperous by making them

more attractive places for businesses to locate

and for young people to remain or move to.

Sustainable communities allow people to live

closer to jobs and save money on personal

transportation, usually the second largest

household expense and sometimes the largest

for low-income Americans. Neighborhoods

that make it easy to walk or bike to work,

school, stores, parks, and other destinations

help people stay healthy by incorporating

regular exercise into their daily routines.

Sustainable communities also reduce air and

water pollution and protect treasured land

scapes and prime agricultural land.

People want to live in these types of places—

in fact, right now, the demand for these

neighborhoods far outstrips the supply. And

that demand is expected to grow—the United

States is in the midst of a demographic shift

that is changing the nation’s housing prefer

ences and development patterns. The two

largest demographic segments—millennials,

who are entering the workforce, and baby

boomers, who are leaving it—are most inter

ested in walkable neighborhoods that offer

a variety of housing choices, convenient

transportation options, shopping, restau

rants, parks, and cultural amenities. 

# Sustainable Communities:

A Response to Today’s ChallengesProgress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 

### 2

On June 16, 2009, U.S. Secretary of Transporta

tion Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Housing

and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, and

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Admin

istrator Lisa P. Jackson announced that they

were forming the interagency Partnership for

Sustainable Communities. This action marked a

fundamental shift in the way the federal govern

ment structures its transportation, housing, and

environmental spending, policies, and programs.

The three agencies agreed to collaborate to

help communities become economically strong and environmentally sustainable. Rebuilding

national prosperity today and for the long run

starts with individual communities where—now

and generations from now—all Americans can

find good jobs, good homes, and a good life.

Through the Partnership and guided by six Liv

ability Principles (see below), the Department

of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),

the Department of Transportation (DOT), and

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

are coordinating investments and aligning poli

cies to support communities that want to give 

# A New Federal Approach

1 Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable, and economical transporta

tion choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation’s dependence

on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote public

health.

1 Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient housing

choices for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities to increase mobility and

lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

1 Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through reli

able and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and

other basic needs by workers, as well as expanded business access to markets.

1 Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing communities—

through strategies like transit-oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling—to

increase community revitalization and the efficiency of public works investments and

safeguard rural landscapes.

1 Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment. Align federal policies and

funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding, and increase the account

ability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including

making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy

1 Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all communi

ties by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods—rural, urban, or suburban. 

## HUD–DOT–EPA PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

GUIDING LIVABILITY PRINCIPLESPARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES  Progress for American Communities 

### 3

Americans more housing choices, make trans

portation systems more efficient and reliable,

reinforce existing investments, and support

vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract

businesses. Each agency is working to incorpo

rate the principles into its funding programs,

policies, and future legislative proposals.

The Partnership breaks down the traditional

silos of housing, transportation, and environ

mental policy to consider these issues as they

exist in the real world—inextricably connected.

In the past, the federal government has too

often operated as if these areas were unrelated.

The old approach has proven to be ineffective,

costly, complicated, and inconsistent. Not only

does interagency collaboration get better results

for communities—such as making it easier to

build affordable housing that is convenient to

a range of job opportunities and transporta

tion choices—it also uses taxpayer money more

efficiently. Coordinating federal investments in

infrastructure, facilities, and services meets mul

tiple economic, environmental, and community

objectives with each dollar spent. For example,

investing in public transit can lower transporta

tion costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and

other air pollution, decrease traffic congestion,

encourage healthy walking and bicycling, and

spur development of new homes and amenities

around transit stations. Agencies throughout the federal government are

realizing the value of this new model of collabo

ration. Together or individually, HUD, DOT,

and EPA are also working with the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, the Depart

ment of Agriculture, the Department of Defense,

the Department of Education, the Depart

ment of Energy, the Department of Health and

Human Services, the Economic Development

Administration, the Federal Emergency Manage

ment Agency, the General Services Administra

tion, the National Endowment for the Arts, the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra

tion, and other federal agencies on related issues.

Parks, open space, and recreational opportunities make communities

more attractive and help keep residents healthy by giving them

places like Gasworks Park in Seattle to exercise, play, or just relax. 

# By working together, [HUD, DOT, and EPA] can make sure that

when it comes to development—housing, transportation, energy

efficiency—these things aren’t mutually exclusive; they go hand in

hand. And that means making sure that affordable housing exists in

close proximity to jobs and transportation. That means encouraging

shorter travel times and lower travel costs. It means safer, greener,

more livable communities.

–President Barack Obama 

# “ ”Progress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 

### 4



### Transportation Investment Generating

Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants

In February 2010, as part of the Ameri

can Recovery and Reinvestment Act, DOT

announced $1.5 billion in TIGER grants

for more than 50 innovative transportation

projects across the country. Twenty-two of

these projects were selected because they would

promote livability by increasing transportation

choice, providing better access to job opportu

nities, strengthening economic resiliency, and

protecting air and water quality. As part of the

continuing coordination under the Partnership,

DOT used EPA and HUD’s expertise in its

application review to select projects that would

achieve multiple benefits.

Now urban, suburban, and rural communi

ties across the nation are getting ready for the

exciting improvements TIGER grant money

will bring. For example, TIGER will fund a new

streetcar loop linking downtown New Orleans

with other transit services and an Amtrak hub. In Revere, Massachusetts, TIGER funding will

be used to turn acres of dilapidated parking lots

into a bus and rail station with pedestrian access

to the adjacent Wonderland neighborhood, site

of America’s first public beach. Grant money 

# The Partnership’s First Year: June 2009–June 2010

More Effective Federal Investments, Better Outcomes for Communities

In its first year, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities made strides toward three goals:

W Targeting resources through grants and other programs to help states and communities create

jobs and stronger economies by developing more sustainably.

W Removing regulatory and policy barriers at the federal level to make it easier for state and

local governments to access federal services and resources.

W Aligning agency priorities and embedding the Livability Principles in each agency’s actions so

that transportation, housing, and environmental protection efforts are coordinated.

Downtown Boise, Idaho, is welcoming to bicyclists, pedestrians,

drivers, and transit users. It has many historic buildings that have

seen new life with renovation and reuse. 

## TARGETING RESOURCES TO COMMUNITIES

Communities across the country are eager to build more sustainable neighborhoods. Some have

projects ready to go but lack the funds to put shovels in the ground; others have citizens and local

leaders who are excited about planning a sustainable future but need help taking the next step

to translate their ideas into actual development. In response to those needs, the Partnership for

Sustainable Communities has focused on getting resources to communities so they can turn their

visions into reality.PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES  Progress for American Communities 

### 5

will also support Whitefish, Montana’s plan to

improve vitality on its main street and maintain

a pedestrian-friendly streetscape, balanced with

the need to move significant volumes of traffic.



### Joint DOT TIGER II-HUD Community

Challenge Grants

For the first time, DOT and HUD will join

forces to award up to $75 million—up to $35

million in transportation planning grants from

the second round of TIGER funds and $40 mil

lion in HUD Community Challenge Planning

Grants to support local planning activities that

integrate transportation, housing, and economic

development. To make it easier for communi

ties to apply to both programs, DOT and HUD

accepted a single application for both oppor

tunities and will make joint awards as well as individual grants in the fall of 2010. The three

agencies collaborated on the joint proposal and

will review applications together.



### HUD Sustainable Communities Regional

Planning Grants

In June 2010, HUD opened the application

process for the $100-million Sustainable Com

munities Regional Planning Grant program. This

program will support metropolitan and multijuris

dictional planning efforts that integrate housing,

land use, economic and workforce development,

transportation, and infrastructure investments.

With strong, comprehensive, long-range regional

plans, communities can better address the inter

dependent challenges of economic competitive

ness and revitalization, social equity and access

to opportunity, public health, energy efficiency,

In September 2009, Administrator Jackson, Secretary

LaHood, Secretary Donovan, and White House Urban

Affairs Director Adolfo Carrión embarked on a Sustainable

Communities Tour, visiting Chicago, Dubuque, and Denver

to hear from leaders on the ground about ways the Part

nership could help communities create more economic

opportunities and affordable homes while protecting their

air and water. They talked with state, regional, and local

officials and held community forums to hear from the pub

lic. The agency leaders visited several projects that exem

plify the types of places the Partnership wants to support:

1 Chicago’s Bethel Center is a new community services hub

in a green building on a former brownfield. It is located

next to a train station and has affordable homes nearby.

1 Dubuque, Iowa, is transforming its historic Millwork

District into a sustainable neighborhood with a mix of uses, housing options for a range

of income levels, transportation options, and infrastructure improvements.

1 Denver has refurbished its historic Union Station to make it a multimodal transit hub

that has helped revitalize the surrounding area. Also in Denver, South Lincoln Park

Homes built new affordable housing on a former brownfield near a transit station. 

## SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES TOUR

The public investment in Denver’s

Union Station spurred private

investment nearby.Progress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 

### 6

environmental protection, and climate change.

The Partnership agencies collaborated on the

development of the proposal and will jointly

review applications. Funding announcements will

be made in the fall of 2010.



### Funds for Urban Circulator and

Bus & Bus Livability Projects

In July 2010, DOT awarded nearly $300 million

under two new programs that will give Ameri

cans better transportation choices and strengthen

communities. Six cities were selected for Urban

Circulator grants, which will fund streetcar, bus,

and other urban transportation projects that con

nect destinations and foster walkable, mixed-use

redevelopment. For example, the award will help

Cincinnati construct a 6-mile streetcar route that

will connect its downtown to Over-the-Rhine, a

low-income neighborhood, and to Uptown, the

region’s second largest employment center.

Bus & Bus Livability grants went to 47 projects

in 31 states that will improve bus service and

facilities, encouraging development around pub

lic transit and giving bus riders better access to

jobs, health care, and education. Funded projects

include a bike and pedestrian trail connecting

downtown destinations to a bus and commuter

rail hub in Orlando; a real-time bus-tracking

system in Montrose, Colorado; and New York

City’s 34th Street Transitway, which will add bus

lanes and a pedestrian plaza to the busy corridor, easing traffic congestion, improving bus service,

and enhancing pedestrian safety.



### State Revolving Funds for Water

Infrastructure

The single largest category of funds that flow from

EPA to states and ultimately local communities

is funding for water infrastructure projects, also

known as State Revolving Funds (SRFs). In May

2010, EPA issued guidance to states on spending

the 2010 appropriation of $3.3 billion for clean

water and drinking water infrastructure. The guid

ance explicitly recommends that states make fund

ing decisions that are consistent with the Livability

Principles, and that they discourage expanding

infrastructure to accommodate growth if there are

available facilities in existing communities. Three

states—Maryland, New York, and California—are

now testing how the billions they receive in Clean

Water SRF dollars can support their efforts to

make communities more sustainable.



### Smart Growth Implementation Assistance

EPA has engaged HUD and DOT in its Smart

Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA)

program, which provides direct technical assis

tance to three to five communities selected each

year through a competition. Over the last five

years, this program has worked with urban, sub

urban, and rural communities across the country

on issues such as stormwater management, code

revision, transit-oriented development, affordable

housing, infill development, corridor planning,

green building, and climate change. In addition to

helping communities directly, the SGIA program

helps EPA, HUD, and DOT learn more about the

challenges that communities around the country

face as they strive to create places that provide

transportation and housing choices while protect

ing environmental resources. Reports from these

projects often provide new tools for other commu

nities to use. In the first year of the Partnership,

the agencies worked together on SGIA projects

with the state of California; Louisville, Kentucky;

Montgomery County, Maryland; and Las Cruces,

New Mexico. The next round of selected commu

nities will be announced in fall of 2010. Arlington County, Virginia, offers a wide variety of transportation

options, including Metrorail and Metrobus to downtown

Washington, D.C., and the surrounding region; carsharing; and an

extensive network of bike and pedestrian routes.PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES  Progress for American Communities 

### 7



### Greening America’s Capitals

This new EPA-led Partnership project will

help up to five state capital cities per year

develop a vision of distinctive, environmen

tally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate

innovative green building and green infra

structure. EPA will fund a team of designers

to visit each city and work with residents and

local leaders to produce designs for a demon

stration neighborhood that can catalyze or

complement a larger planning process. HUD

and DOT will also bring their expertise to

these teams. Each project will involve city

staff as well as staff from the state legislature

and governor’s office. The cities selected in

2010 will be announced in the fall.



### HUD Adoption of Sustainability Criteria

in Scoring Grant Applications

Secretary Donovan announced in May 2010

that HUD will adopt the Leadership in Energy

and Environmental Design for Neighborhood

Development (LEED-ND) system to evaluate

applications for its $3.25 billion in discretion

ary funding. Funded by EPA and developed by

the U.S. Green Building Council, the Natural

Resources Defense Council, and the Congress

for the New Urbanism, LEED-ND is a system

for rating and certifying neighborhoods that

integrate housing with jobs and services, offer

a range of transportation choices, and incor

porate green building and green infrastructure.

With this change, grant applications that

emphasize sustainable communities can be

awarded additional points.



### Mixed-Income, Transit-Oriented

Development Action Guide

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

and HUD have developed an action guide

to help planners implement mixed-income,

transit-oriented development. This interac

tive Web guide, www.mitod.org

, will help

local planners and community groups find

effective strategies and tools to encourage

mixed-income development around transit. The San Joaquin Valley faces incred

ibly challenging environmental, human

health, and social issues. The Partnership

for Sustainable Communities is support

ing local and regional efforts to improve

quality of life in the valley. A focus of this

pilot project is increasing transit for bet

ter access to jobs and services, including

potential links to future high-speed rail

stations. The project aims to engage local

residents to learn what they want from

future development, to teach them about

the health and economic benefits of clean

ing up and reusing brownfields, and to

empower them to influence development

decisions. HUD, DOT, and EPA will also help

their regional partners evaluate whether

local brownfield sites are good locations

for green spaces, commercial develop

ment, and transit-oriented development.

Together, the federal partners and the

city have already initiated efforts such as

a redevelopment project in West Fresno,

and are considering collaborating around a

possible Bus Rapid Transit system. 

## FRESNO, CALIFORNIA

“We’re excited about the promise

of federal agencies working in such

a focused, concentrated way with

the city of Fresno. We hope this

partnership will provide us with the

technical expertise and resources to

focus on one of the most challenging

neighborhoods in the city.”

—Ashley Swearengin, Mayor, Fresno, CaliforniaProgress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 

### 8



### Executive Order on Federal Leadership

in Environmental, Energy, and Economic

Performance

President Obama’s Executive Order 13514, signed

on October 5, 2009, aims to make federal govern

ment facilities more sustainable and to encourage

the federal government to lead by example in

using resources more efficiently. EO 13514 requires

agencies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,

make their buildings more energy efficient, and

work with communities to site federal buildings in

downtowns, near transit and affordable housing,

and with easy access on foot or by bike. Because

the location of federal facilities can influence com

munities’ development patterns for decades, the

three Partnership agencies worked with the Gen

eral Services Administration and consulted with

the Department of Defense and the Department of

Homeland Security to develop siting recommenda

tions that will make future federal facilities assets to

communities and catalysts for better development.



### Brownfields Policy Change

HUD revised its policies to make it easier to

develop Federal Housing Administrationinsured multifamily housing on cleaned-up former industrial and commercial sites, known as

brownfields, while ensuring the health and safety

of future residents. This change makes it easier

for communities to build homes that working

people can afford on reused sites that are near

key amenities, such as public transit. Redevelop

ing sites like these can revitalize entire neighbor

hoods, providing new jobs, stores, and services.



### Brownfields Pilot Communities

EPA, HUD, and DOT have selected five pilot

communities—Boston; Indianapolis; Iowa

City, Iowa; Denver; and National City, Cali

fornia—where there is a convergence of mul

tiple brownfield sites, economic distress, public

transit, and the need for affordable housing. The

three agencies are helping these communities

clean up and reuse contaminated and vacant

properties, which will provide new sustainable

housing and transportation choices, create jobs,

and expand economic opportunity. EPA, HUD,

and DOT will use lessons learned from the

pilots to identify barriers and find opportunities

for program and policy changes that will make

federal investments more effective in economi

cally distressed places.



# Small towns and rural areas face major obstacles to plan and

implement strategies that increase livability. Therefore, I’m

very pleased to see the federal government’s new focus on

incentive-based funding and technical assistance for rural areas.

—Julia Gouge, President, Board of Commissioners, Carroll County, Maryland 

# “ ”

REMOVING FEDERAL BARRIERS

For too long, federal policy has inadvertently encouraged inefficient development patterns that are

costly to taxpayers and cause traffic congestion and pollution. Many federal regulations and poli

cies unintentionally erected barriers to smart, sustainable development. The Partnership agen

cies are working with state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and other entities to

learn about federal policies that have hampered their work. With input from these stakeholders,

the agencies are working to remove federal regulatory and policy barriers and make it easier for

communities to implement the type of development they want.PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES  Progress for American Communities 

### 9

In National City, for example, the three agencies

are supporting the efforts of the local redevelop

ment authority and neighborhood organizations

to revitalize a brownfield site in the Westside

neighborhood, a low-income, heavily polluted

area. The Partnership’s assistance will help the

city clean up the site, link it to an adjacent light

rail station, develop 201 units of affordable hous

ing, improve the nearby tidal creek, and create a

much-needed park for local families. 

### Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Pilot Initiative

In collaboration with HUD, DOT, and other

agencies, EPA’s Brownfields Area-Wide

Planning Pilot initiative will work with about

20 communities to help each one create a

shared vision for brownfields redevelopment

that will inform cleanup decisions. The pilots

will demonstrate how brownfield reuse can

clean up health hazards, create new economic

opportunities, and bring new life to disad

vantaged communities. Recipients will be

announced in fall of 2010. The Fairmount Commuter Rail Line in Boston passes through three low-income neighbor

hoods—Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. For decades, however, the rail line did not stop

in these communities. Boston is now using investments from the Partnership to turn the

rail line into an engine of economic development and community revitalization. The FTA is

supporting four new stations and the renovation of two existing stations in the three neigh

borhoods. EPA has provided funding to clean up more than 30 brownfield sites within a halfmile of the new and renovated stations and will be providing technical assistance to a Green

Jobs Incubator on a former brownfield. HUD’s funding provided support for a significant

portion of the more than 2,000 new housing units that are being built along the corridor.

The corridor was selected as one of the Partnership’s

Brownfields Pilots. This project will assist a collaborative

of four community development corporations (CDCs)

with two transit-oriented development planning efforts

and an area-wide brownfield revitalization strategy for

the corridor. The Partnership is working with the city, the

CDCs, The Boston Foundation, and other partners to help

avoid displacement of existing residents as the area is

revitalized, to create job and recreational opportunities

for residents, and to encourage development of afford

able housing near transit. 

## BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

The area around Uphams Corner, a station on

the Fairmount line in Dorchester, before the

transit upgrade, and a rendering showing the

planned redevelopment around the station.Images courtesy of Goody Clancy and the Fairmount CollaborativeProgress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 

### 10



### Policy Statement on

Bicycle and Pedestrian

Accommodation Regulations

and Recommendations

DOT has issued a new bicyclepedestrian policy that emphasizes

the need to consider non-motorists

in federally funded road projects,

discourages transportation invest

ments that jeopardize the safety

of cyclists and pedestrians, and

encourages investments that go

beyond minimum requirements and

provide facilities for bicyclists and

pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

The department has also proposed

emphasizing its policy that extends

FTA funding to pedestrian and

bicycle improvements within a des

ignated area around a transit stop.



### Reducing Contracting Conflicts

The Federal Highway Administra

tion (FHWA) worked with HUD to

resolve a contracting conflict that

had the potential to hold up projects.

FHWA will use Special Experi

mental Project No. 14 (SEP-14) to

permit, on a case-by-case basis, the

application of HUD contracting

requirements on federal-aid highway

projects. This will allow better coor

dination of transportation and hous

ing expenditures because HUD and

FHWA requirements were often in



# It is important that these federal agencies work together as these

issues are all interconnected. From the local perspective, this

cross-disciplinary partnership is an important, all-encompassing

approach, which will make our lives easier by giving us access to

more resources and streamlining the process.

—Mark Stodola, Mayor, Little Rock, Arkansas 

# “ ” Indianapolis’ Smart Growth Redevelopment District,

chosen as one of the Partnership’s Brownfields Pilots,

focuses the resources of EPA, HUD, and DOT on a por

tion of the city’s northeast side, which faces widespread

abandonment, environmental contamination, poor

transit accessibility, and housing needs. The Partner

ship team is working with the state of Indiana, the city

government, local nonprofits, and community groups to

coordinate federal investments in and near the Smart

Growth Redevelopment District. These investments

include brownfields and Superfund cleanups, a transit

corridor, and a green housing redevelopment. 

## INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

These traditional homes in the Smart Growth

Redevelopment District sit across the street from

an abandoned brownfield and vacant property

(inset). The district’s revitalization strategy

will propose ways to bring back amenities and

residents, strategically reuse brownfields, improve

transit access, and spur economic development.PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES  Progress for American Communities 

### 11

conflict. For example, HUD’s Section 3 Program

requires that low-income people living in a proj

ect area be hired as a condition of funding that

project, which conflicts with FHWA rules that

prohibit geographic hiring preferences. FHWA’s

action will make it easier for communities to build

the infrastructure they need and will generate jobs

for these communities.



### Change to Federal Transit Administra

tion’s New Starts Program

FTA’s New Starts program funds locally planned,

implemented, and operated rail and bus projects.

In January 2010, DOT changed a rule that had required the New Starts program to consider

cost-effectiveness above all other factors when

selecting major transit projects to support.

Building on this policy shift, in June 2010, FTA

asked for public comment on how to change the

way proposed New Starts projects are rated and

evaluated. FTA is now reviewing the comments

as it develops new ways to define and measure

statutory program criteria to evaluate major tran

sit project proposals. Changes will give meaning

ful consideration to a broader range of benefits

transit can provide, including economic devel

opment, a healthier environment, and increased

access to opportunities.

EPA’s Environmental Justice Showcase Communities

program convenes federal agencies, state and local gov

ernment entities, non-governmental organizations, and

other stakeholders to help underserved communities

shape their neighborhoods’ futures with comprehen

sive, locally appropriate solutions. As one of ten Envi

ronmental Justice Showcase Communities, Jacksonville

is receiving assistance from the Partnership agencies to

help address local environmental, health, and economic

challenges. EPA, HUD, and DOT representatives partici

pated in the Jacksonville project’s kickoff event, where

they toured the northeastern part of the city, a disad

vantaged area with several Superfund and brownfield sites and high rates of heart disease, can

cer, diabetes, asthma, and infant mortality. The agencies will support the local partners as they

establish a community health center, designed with green building techniques, on a cleaned-up

brownfield site close to parks, community gardens, and other amenities. The center will provide

training for health care jobs in partnership with historically black colleges and universities and will

offer educational programs on healthy living. The lessons learned through this and other Envi

ronmental Justice Showcase Communities pilots will help the Partnership better use its resources

to help underserved communities build more sustainable neighborhoods with better access to

opportunities; improved services and amenities; and healthier places to live, work, and play. 

## JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

During the kickoff event in April 2010, community

leaders talked with federal and local government

officials and private-sector partners on one of the

contaminated sites slated for redevelopment.Progress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 

### 12



### Coordinating Policies and Funding Programs

The three agencies have been working together in

unprecedented ways to promote sustainable com

munities through their policies and grant programs.

They have jointly evaluated applications for the

TIGER, Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Pilot,

Sustainable Communities Regional Planning, and

Community Challenge Planning grants, among oth

ers. They have collaborated on regulatory and policy

changes such as HUD’s brownfields policy change,

DOT’s bicycle–pedestrian funding policy changes,

and recommendations for federal facility siting.



### HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and

Communities

In February 2010, HUD launched the Office of

Sustainable Housing and Communities to serve as

the center point for HUD’s sustainability efforts and

the main liaison to the Partnership. The Office of

Sustainable Housing and Communities will support

stronger, more sustainable communities by advanc

ing policies that connect housing to jobs, foster local

innovation, and support a clean energy economy.



### EPA Office of Sustainable Communities

In February 2010, EPA announced that the Office

of Sustainable Communities would be created to

coordinate the agency’s work on smart growth and

green building. The office will provide technical

assistance to urban, suburban, and rural com

munities in support of the Partnership and will work with a wide range of stakeholders to produce

research, tools, and other resources to help com

munities create sustainable neighborhoods.



### Regional Partnerships

The national Partnership for Sustainable Com

munities is being replicated by field staff in the

three agencies’ regional offices around the country.

Regional HUD, DOT, and EPA staff are col

laborating on a variety of projects. For example,

regional HUD, FTA, and EPA staff met with Tuc

son leaders to kick off the Tucson Modern Street

car Project, a TIGER grant recipient. They toured

the corridor and explored opportunities to connect

the streetcar project to other local public invest

ments, such as brownfield cleanups and housing

and small business development along the corridor.



# The smallest municipalities are connecting to federal agencies, which

has not happened in a coordinated fashion, not just on Long Island

but any suburban area in the nation.... This new federal partnership

could provide the resources necessary to assist the revitalization of our

downtowns and support needed sewer and transit infrastructure.

—Eric Alexander, Executive Director, Vision Long Island 

# “ ” Seneca Falls, New York, invested in its main street to maintain its

rural character while also creating a vibrant, thriving place that

attracts visitors and residents. 

## ALIGNING POLICIES AND BUDGETS

To make the Livability Principles a part of the way the three agencies do business and to ensure

ongoing collaboration, HUD, DOT, and EPA have been working to align their respective pro

grams, policies, and budgets.PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES  Progress for American Communities 

### 13



### The Partnership for Sustainable Communities

has already yielded impressive results—but

HUD, DOT, and EPA still have a lot of work

to do together. The agencies plan to continue

working with other interested federal partners

to help them better support communities that

offer more job opportunities, better housing

choices, reliable and convenient transporta

tion options, and high quality of life.

For example, to better support economic

growth and community development in rural

areas, the Partnership is working with the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA). The

agencies are discussing how to facilitate future

technical assistance collaborations, how the

Livability Principles support USDA programs

to improve economic opportunity and qual

ity of life in rural America, and how best to

address rural issues in the Partnership’s work.

This collaboration builds on work EPA has

done with USDA’s Rural Development Pro

gram, including providing smart growth assis

tance to the town of Waverly, Iowa, which was

damaged by floods and tornadoes in 2008.

The Partnership is also exploring ways to

work with the Federal Emergency Manage

ment Agency (FEMA) to incorporate sus

tainable communities practices into hazard

mitigation planning and long-term disaster recovery. This potential collaboration stems

from work between EPA and FEMA to help

six Iowa towns that were damaged by floods

and tornadoes in 2008 and a Memorandum

of Understanding between these two agen

cies. This work is also helping to inform

a federal task force working on a national

strategy for climate adaptation, and it could

be used to help local climate change adapta

tion planning as well.

The Partnership plans to continue examining

and, if necessary, modifying federal policies

and actions on transportation, housing, and

environmental protection to complement

each other and to better reflect the Livability

Principles. In addition, the Partnership will

screen these policies and actions to ensure

they provide equal opportunities to disadvan

taged communities, including rural and tribal

areas. The Partnership will make sure our

programs are fair and inclusive. The Partner

ship for Sustainable Communities recognizes

that effective decision-making about how

and where growth occurs depends on under

standing and properly addressing the unique

needs of different socioeconomic groups. We

will ensure the full and fair participation in

our activities and programs by all potentially

affected communities. 

# The Road Ahead:

The Partnership’s Plans for the Future

All photos courtesy of EPA

unless otherwise noted.Photos on front cover (from left to right): Boise, Idaho; Kentlands, Gaithersburg, Maryland; Washington, Virginia;

Salt Lake City, Utah; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Photos on back cover (from left to right): Starkville, Mississippi; Vermont; Millennium Park, Chicago; Stapleton,

Denver, Colorado; Providence, Rhode Island. http://www.epa.gov/

smartgrowth/partnership http://www.hud.gov/sustainability http://www.dot.gov/livability

Office of Sustainable Communities (1807T)

EPA 231-K-10-002

http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

October 2010

# Partnership for Sustainable Communities Partnership for Sustainable Communities 

# Partnership Partnership in Action

2010 April

In June 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joined together to

form the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an

unprecedented agreement to c oordinate federal housing,

transportation, and environmental investments; protect public

health and the environment; promote equitable development;

and help address the challenges of climate change.

The three agencies are working together more closely than

ever before to meet President Obama’s challenge to

coordinate federal policies, programs, and resources to help

urban, suburban, and rural areas build more sustainable

communities and make those communities the leading style

of development in the United States.

The agencies are working together to identify opportunities

to build more sustainable communities and to remove policy

or other barriers that prevent these places from being built.

Livability Principles

1. Provide more transportation choices.

2. Promote equitable, affordable housing.

3. Increase economic competitiveness.

4. Support existing communities.

5. Leverage federal investment.

6. Value communities and neighborhoods. 

### “ It's time to throw out old policies that

encouraged sprawl and congestion, pollu

tion, and ended up isolating our communi

ties in the process. We need strategies

that encourage smart development linked

to quality public transportation, that bring

our communities together."

- President Barack Obama, January 21, 2010 to

the U.S. Conference of Mayors

HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims and HUD Miami Field Office Director

Armand Fana at the first of several listening sessions on the HUD Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program.



## Listening Sessions: Sustainable Co mmunities Planning Grant Program

In the 2010 budget, Congress provided $150 million to HUD

for a Sustainable Communities Initiative to improve regional

planning efforts that integrate housing and transportation

decisions and increase capacity to improve land use and

zoning. Approximately $100 million of that total will be given to

regional integrated planning initiatives through HUD’s

Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program.

With DOT and EPA’s assistance, HUD developed an Advance

Notice of Funding Availability with a description and

framework of the grant program for public comment in early

February. It was designed to gather input from the public on

how the program should be structured in order to have the

most meaningful impact on sustainable regional planning.

As part of a commitment to listening and learning, HUD

Deputy Secretary Ron Sims kicked off HUD's Sustainable

Communities Planning Grant Listening Tour in Miami on

February 19th. The Deputy Secretary and Shelley Poticha, Director of the Office of Sustainable Housing and

Communities, listened to stakeholders to learn how the new

grant program could spur local innovations that will help

communities grow more sustainably.

Throughout February and March, listening sessions were held

in Denver, Colo.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Los Angeles, Calif.; St.

Louis, Mo.; Hartford, Conn.; Washington D.C., and Cleveland,

Ohio. Over 700 people participated, including representatives

of state, local, and regional governments; community

development organizations; and a broad range of other

stakeholders. To reach as many stakeholders as possible,

HUD also hosted six webcasts which reached approximately

600 additional people.

More information about the HUD Sustainable Communities

Planning Grant Program is available at www.hud.gov/

sustainability.

# Partnership for Sustainable Communities Partnership for Sustainable Communities 

# Partnership Partnership in Action

2010 April

As a result of the Partnership, DOT, HUD, and EPA have increased intera gency coordination and collaboration and are developing

internal initiatives to support the Partnership’s work. Here are a few examples:

HUD Launch of Office of Sustai nable Housing and Communities

In February 2010, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan publicly announced the cr eation of the Office of Sust ainable Housing and Communit ies. The

office will be overseen by Deputy Secretary Ron Sims and is under the mana gement of Director Shelley Po ticha. The office will help build

stronger communities by connecting housing to transportation, fostering local innovat ion, and building a clean energy economy. Funded by

Congress for the first time in HUD’s 2010 budget, the office is a key component of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The office will

work closely with EPA and DOT to coordinate federal policies, programs, and resources to help urban, suburban, and rural areas build more

sustainable communities. More information: http://www.hud.gov /sustainability

Sustainable Communities Brownfields Pilots

Together, EPA, HUD, and DOT have selected five Brownfields Pilots where there is a convergence of public transit and the need for affordable

housing. Cleaning and reusing this land and providing new housi ng choices will create jobs and new economic opportunities. The five sites are

the Fairmount Line in Boston; the Smart Growth Redevelopment Di strict in Indianapolis; the La Alma/South Lincoln Park neighborhood in Denver;

the Riverfront Crossings District in Iowa City, Iowa; and the Westside Affordable Ho using Transit-Oriented Development in Natio nal City,

California. More information: http://www.epa.gov/brownf ields/sustain.htm#part

DOT Funds for Urban Circulator, Bus, and Bus Facility Projects

DOT is evaluating grants fo r two new pilot programs to sup port livability projects. Up to $15 0 million is available for bus liv ability projects to

provide new mobility options to improve ac cess to jobs, healthcare, and education. $130 million is available for Urban Circulat or Grants, which will

connect destinations and foster walkable, mi xed-use redevelopment. More information: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-29242.pdf

Clean Water State Revolving Fund Pilots Announced

Through new Clean Water State Revolving Fund Pilots, EPA will offe r technical assistance to Ne w York, Maryland, and California – to use their

clean water funding programs to support efforts to make communities more sustainable. The aim of th is technical assistance is t o promote more

widespread adoption of practices that encourage states to reinvest in their existing infrastructure systems and in their existi ng communities.

DOT Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants

In February 2010, DOT announced $1.5 billion in TIGER grants for over 50 high-pr iority, innovative trans portation projects acro ss the country. The

projects, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Ac t (ARRA), will create thousands of jobs and help get the U.S. econ omy back on

track. The TIGER grant program targets majo r national and regional transpor tation projects that are o ften difficult to pursue t hrough government

funding programs. Selected projects must fo ster job creation, show strong economic benefits, and prom ote communities that are s afer, cleaner,

and more livable. The projects selected range in size from under $4 million to over $100 million and are found in both rural an d urban

communities. They are distributed in 41 states and the District of Columbia. HUD and EPA offered expertise in the review of the grant

applications. $600 million has been allocated to DOT for a sec ond round of TIGER grant s. $30 million of thos e funds can be used for planning and

capacity building to generate and fund projects that improve li vability. More information: http://www.dot.gov/affa irs/2010/dot3010b.htm

Smart Growth Implementation Assistance

For the first time, HUD and DOT headquarters and regional staff ar e serving on the teams for EPA’s Smart Growth Implementation Assistance

projects—helping communities fi nd solutions to development-relat ed challenges in the state of California; Louisville, Ky.; Las Cruces, N.M.; and

Montgomery County, Md. More information: http://www.epa.gov/sma rtgrowth/sgia.htm

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)-HUD Mixed-Inc ome, Transit-Oriented Development Action Guide

FTA and HUD have developed an action guide to help planners impl ement mixed-income, transit-oriented development. This interact ive web

guide will help local planners find effective tools to encourage mixed-income development around transit. More information: http://www.mitod.org

Change to Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts Program

DOT has repealed the New Starts cost-effectiveness rule that lim ited its New Starts funding recommendations. DOT is making thi s change in

order to give meaningful consideration to the full range of benefits t hat transit can provide, in cluding shorter travel times, congestion relief, and

other important economic development, env ironmental, and social benefits.

More information: http://www.fta.dot.gov/news/news_events_11048.html

EPA Urban Wate rs Initiative

Under the new Urban Waters Initiative, EPA will work with HUD and DOT to promote equitable redev elopment adjacent to urban wate rways, re

invest in existing infrastructure, improv e water quality, and revitalize waterfront neighborhoods, especial ly disadvantaged nei ghborhoods. EPA

expects to announce a Request for Proposals in 2010 for approxi mately $600,000 in Targeted Watersheds Grants to build capacity in urban

watersheds. More information: http://www.epa.gov/twg

More information and updates on each agency’s efforts:

http://www.hud.gov/sustainability http://www.dot.gov http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

# Partnership for Sustainable Communities Partnership for Sustainable Communities 

# Partnership Partnership in Action

February 2010

In June 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joined together to

form the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an

unprecedented agreement to c oordinate federal housing,

transportation, and environmental investments, protect public

health and the environment, promote equitable development,

and help address the challenges of climate change.

The three agencies are working together more closely than

ever before to meet President Obama’s challenge to

coordinate federal policies, programs, and resources to help

urban, suburban, and rural areas and regions build more

sustainable communities and make those communities the

leading style of development in the United States.

The agencies are working together to identify opportunities

to build more sustainable communities and to remove policy

or other barriers that have kept Americans from doing so.

Livability Principles

1. Provide more transportation choices.

2. Promote equitable, affordable housing.

3. Increase economic competitiveness.

4. Support existing communities.

5. Leverage federal investment.

6. Value communities and neighborhoods. 

### “For too long, federal policy has actually

encouraged sprawl and congestion and

pollution, rather than quality public

transportation and smart, sustainable

development...”

-President Barack Obama, July 13, 2009

(Left to right) Secretary Donovan, US HUD; Secretary LaHood, US DOT;

and Administrator Jackson, US EPA; appearing before the Senate Banking Committee, June 16, 2009, to launc h the Partnership for Sustainable

Communities.



## On the Road: Learning from St ates, Regions, and Localities

In September 2009, Administrator Lisa Jackson, Secretary

Ray LaHood, Secretary Shaun Donovan, and White House

Urban Affairs Director Adolfo Carrion embarked on their

first Sustainable Communities Tour, visiting Chicago,

Dubuque, and Denver, to hear from leaders on the ground

about ways the Partnership could support more sustainable

communities. They talked with state, regional, and local

officials and held community forums to hear from the

public. The agency leaders visited several projects that

exemplify the six Livability Principles that are at the heart of

the Sustainable Communities Partnership:

• Chicago’s Bethel Center created new community

services in a green building on a former brownfields site

next to a transit station and built affordable homes nearby.

• Dubuque, Iowa, is transforming its historic Millwork

District into a sustainable neighborhood with mixes of uses,

mixed-income housing, transportation options, and

environmental improvements. • Denver has refurbished its historic Union Station as a

premier transit hub, which has helped revitalize the

surrounding area. Also in Denver, South Lincoln Park

Homes created new affordable housing on a brownfields

site near a transit station.

In October 2009, representatives from the three agencies

spoke about the Partnership at the State Sustainability

Summit, a forum that attracted more than 70 state

government leaders responsible for public health, the

environment, transportation, planning, and housing.

Cabinet secretaries, deputy secretaries and policy directors

from 34 states discussed opportunities for the agencies to

work with their federal counterparts to better coordinate

their policies and remove barriers to building sustainable

communities.

The Partnership agencies continue to reach out to key

stakeholders through meetings, speeches, and other

means.

# Partnership for Sustainable Communities Partnership for Sustainable Communities 

# Partnership in Action

February 2010 

# Partnership in Action

As a result of the Partnership, DOT, HUD and EPA have already increased interagency coordination and collaboration,

while also developing a number of internal initiatives in support of the Partnership’s work. Here are a few examples:

Executive Order on Federal Facilities (EO 13514)

The goal of President Obama’s Executive Order is to improve t he overall sustainability of federal government facilities. The EO

includes requirements for setting greenhouse gas reduction ta rgets, reducing waste, encouraging community planning, and

creating high performance buildings, among other measures. DOT, with support from EPA, HUD and the General Services

Administration, is leading the effort to create standards fo r locating new federal facilities in sustainable communities.

DOT Funds for Urban Circulator Projects

DOT has announced as a new Partnership activity the availab ility of $280 million for streetcars and other urban circulator

projects, such as buses and bus facilities, to support commu nities, expand business opportunities and improve people’s quality

of life while also creating jobs. The grants will be announc ed in early 2010. More information: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/200 9/

dot18509.htm .

Brownfields Policy Change

In a move designed to remove a barrier to the construction of multi-family infill development, HUD has revised its policies to

make it easier for FHA-insured multifamily housing to be develo ped on formerly commercial and industrial sites while ensuring

the health and safety of future residents. This will allow site s that are often well-located but underdeveloped to be reclaimed

and revitalized to provide affordable housing near transit st ations and other amenities. EPA, DOT, and HUD are working

together to identify sites and ensur e sustainable cleanup and redevelopment.

New EPA Pilots and Initiatives

• Through new Clean Water State Revolving Fund Pilots , EPA will offer technical assistan ce to New York, Maryland and

California – to use their clean water funding programs to sup port efforts to make communities more sustainable. The aim

of this technical assistance is to promote more widespread ad option of practices that encourage states to reinvest in their

existing infrastructure systems and in their existing communities. More information:

• Together, EPA, HUD, and DOT have selected five EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities Brownfields Pilots

across the country where there is a convergence of public transit and the need for affordable housing. Cleaning and

reusing this land and providing new housing choices will cr eate jobs and new economic opportunities. The five sites are

the Fairmount Line in Boston; the Smart Growth Redevelopment District in Indianapolis; the La Alma/South Lincoln Park

neighborhood in Denver; the Riverfront Cros sings District in Iowa City, Iowa; and the Westside Affordable Housing TransitOriented Development in National City, Calif.

• Under the new Urban Waters Initiative , EPA will work with HUD and DOT to promote equitable redevelopment adjacent to

urban waterways, re-invest in existing infrastructure, im prove water quality, and revitalize waterfront neighborhoods –

especially disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Grant Coordination

Partnership agencies are working together to review proj ects and programs of its partner agencies. For example:

• EPA is collaborating with HUD and DOT in its revi ew of applications for EP A's Brownfield pilots;

• DOT is using the expertise of EPA and HUD in its review of applications for DOT's multi-modal transportation TIGER

discretionary grant program, which is funded by the Recovery Act;

• HUD has invited DOT and EPA to assist in developing its pr oposed program for regional planning grants and local

challenge grants.

Smart Growth Implementation Assistance

For the first time, HUD and DOT will participate in EPA’s annual technical assistance projects. In 2010, the Smart Growth

Implementation Assistance program is helping communities find solutions to development-related challenges in the state of

California; Louisville, Ky.; Las Cruces, N.M.; and Montgomery County, Md.

More information and updates on each agency’s efforts:

www.hud.gov www.dot.gov www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

# Partnership for Sustainable Communities Partnership for Sustainable Communities 

# Partnership Partnership in Action

January 2010

In June 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joined together to

form the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an

unprecedented agreement to c oordinate federal housing,

transportation, and environmental investments, protect public

health and the environment, promote equitable development,

and help address the challenges of climate change.

The three agencies are working together more closely than

ever before to meet President Obama’s challenge to

coordinate federal policies, programs, and resources to help

urban, suburban, and rural areas and regions build more

sustainable communities and make those communities the

leading style of development in the United States.

The agencies are working together to identify opportunities

to build more sustainable communities and to remove policy

or other barriers that have kept Americans from doing so.

Livability Principles

1. Provide more transportation choices.

2. Promote equitable, affordable housing.

3. Increase economic competitiveness.

4. Support existing communities.

5. Leverage federal investment.

6. Value communities and neighborhoods. 

### “For too long, federal policy has actually

encouraged sprawl and congestion and

pollution, rather than quality public

transportation and smart, sustainable

development...”

-President Barack Obama, July 13, 2009

(Left to right) Secretary Donovan, US HUD; Secretary LaHood, US DOT;

and Administrator Jackson, US EPA; appearing before the Senate Banking Committee, June 16, 2009, to launc h the Partnership for Sustainable

Communities.



## On the Road: Learning from St ates, Regions, and Localities

In September 2009, Administrator Lisa Jackson, Secretary

Ray LaHood, Secretary Shaun Donovan, and White House

Urban Affairs Director Adolfo Carrion embarked on their

first Sustainable Communities Tour, visiting Chicago,

Dubuque, and Denver, to hear from leaders on the ground

about ways the Partnership could support more sustainable

communities. They talked with state, regional, and local

officials and held community forums to hear from the

public. The agency leaders visited several projects that

exemplify the six Livability Principles that are at the heart of

the Sustainable Communities Partnership:

• Chicago’s Bethel Center created new community

services in a green building on a former brownfields site

next to a transit station and built affordable homes nearby.

• Dubuque, Iowa, is transforming its historic Millwork

District into a sustainable neighborhood with mixes of uses,

mixed-income housing, transportation options, and

environmental improvements. • Denver has refurbished its historic Union Station as a

premier transit hub, which has helped revitalize the

surrounding area. Also in Denver, South Lincoln Park

Homes created new affordable housing on a brownfields

site near a transit station.

In October 2009, representatives from the three agencies

spoke about the Partnership at the State Sustainability

Summit, a forum that attracted more than 70 state

government leaders responsible for public health, the

environment, transportation, planning, and housing.

Cabinet secretaries, deputy secretaries and policy directors

from 34 states discussed opportunities for the agencies to

work with their federal counterparts to better coordinate

their policies and remove barriers to building sustainable

communities.

The Partnership agencies continue to reach out to key

stakeholders through meetings, speeches, and other

means.

# Partnership for Sustainable Communities Partnership for Sustainable Communities 

# Partnership Partnership in Action

January 2010

As a result of the Partnership, DOT, HUD and EPA have already increased interagency coordination and collaboration,

while also developing a number of internal initiatives in support of the Partnership’s work. Here are a few examples:

Executive Order on Federal Facilities (EO 13514)

The goal of President Obama’s Executive Order is to improve t he overall sustainability of federal government facilities. The EO

includes requirements for setting greenhouse gas reduction ta rgets, reducing waste, encouraging community planning, and

creating high performance buildings, among other measures. DOT, with support from EPA, HUD and the General Services

Administration, is leading the effort to create standards fo r locating new federal facilities in sustainable communities.

DOT Funds for Urban Circulator Projects

DOT has announced as a new Partnership activity the availab ility of $280 million for streetcars and other urban circulator

projects, such as buses and bus facilities, to support commu nities, expand business opportunities and improve people’s quality

of life while also creating jobs. The grants will be announc ed in early 2010. More information: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/200 9/

dot18509.htm .

Brownfields Policy Change

In a move designed to remove a barrier to the construction of multi-family infill development, HUD has revised its policies to

make it easier for FHA-insured multifamily housing to be develo ped on formerly commercial and industrial sites while ensuring

the health and safety of future residents. This will allow site s that are often well-located but underdeveloped to be reclaimed

and revitalized to provide affordable housing near transit st ations and other amenities. EPA, DOT, and HUD are working

together to identify sites and ensur e sustainable cleanup and redevelopment.

New EPA Pilots and Initiatives

• Through new Clean Water State Revolving Fund Pilots, EPA will offer technical assistance to two to four states that wish to

change their programs to ensure their state water infrastruc ture investments are used to promote location-efficient

development. The aim of this technical assistance is to pr omote more widespread adoption of practices that encourage

states to reinvest in their existing infrastruc ture systems and in their existing communities.

• EPA has committed to identifying at least five sites across the country where there is a convergence of a formerly

contaminated site suitable for cleanup and redevelopment, pr oximity to transit, and the potential for affordable housing.

These projects will provide HUD, DOT and EPA opportunities to wo rk together to provide tec hnical assistance to promote

location-efficient redevelopment.

• Under the new Urban Waters Initiative, EPA will work with HUD and DOT to promote equitable redevelopment adjacent to

urban waterways, re-invest in existing infrastructure, im prove water quality, and revitalize waterfront neighborhoods –

especially disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Grant Coordination

Partnership agencies are working together to review proj ects and programs of its partner agencies. For example:

• EPA is collaborating with HUD and DOT in its revi ew of applications for EP A's Brownfield pilots;

• DOT is using the expertise of EPA and HUD in its review of applications for DOT's multi-modal transportation TIGER

discretionary grant program, which is funded by the Recovery Act;

• HUD has invited DOT and EPA to assist in developing its pr oposed program for regional planning grants and local

challenge grants.

Smart Growth Implementation Assistance

For the first time, HUD and DOT will participate in EPA’s annual technical assistance projects. In 2010, the Smart Growth

Implementation Assistance program is helping communities find solutions to development-related challenges in the state of

California; Louisville, Ky.; Las Cruces, N.M.; and Montgomery County, Md.

More information and updates on each agency’s efforts:

www.hud.gov www.dot.gov www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

### HUD, DOT and EPA Partnership: Sustainable Communities

June 16, 2009

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, U.S.

Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood, and U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson today announced a new partnership to help American

families in all communities –- rural, suburban and urban -- gain better access to affordable

housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs.

Earlier this year, HUD and DOT announced an unprecedented agreement to implement joint

housing and transportation initiatives. With EPA joining the partnership, the three agencies will

work together to ensure that these housing and transportation goals are met while

simultaneously protecting the environment, pr omoting equitable development, and helping to

address the challenges of climate change.

DOT, HUD and EPA have created a high-level interagency partnership to better coordinate

federal transportation, environmental protection, and housing investments and to identify

strategies that:

• Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable and economical

transportation choices in order to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our

nations’ dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas

emissions and promote public health.

• Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location and energy efficient housing

choices for people of all ages, incomes, races and ethnicities to increase mobility and

lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

• Increase economic competitiveness. Enhance economic competitiveness through

reliable and timely access to employment c enters, educational opportunities, services

and other basic needs by workers as well as expanded business access to markets.

• Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing communities to

increase community revitalization, the efficiency of public works investments and

safeguard rural landscapes.

• Leverage federal investment. Cooperatively align federal policies and funding to

remove barriers, leverage funding and increase the accountability and effectiveness of

all levels of government to plan for future growth.

• Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all

communities by investing in healthy, safe and walkable neighborhoods – rural, urban or

suburban.

The HUD/DOT/EPA partnership will:

• Enhance integrated planning and investment. The partnership will seek to integrate

housing, transportation, water infrastructure, and land use planning and investment.

HUD, EPA and DOT propose to make planning grants available to metropolitan areas,

and create mechanisms to ensure those plans are carried through to localities.

• Provide a vision for sustainable growth. This effort will help communities set a vision

for sustainable growth and apply federal transportation, water infrastructure, housing and

other investments in an integrated approach that reduces the nation’s dependence on

### foreign oil, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, protects America’s air and water and

improves quality of life. Coordinating planning efforts in housing, transportation, air

quality and water -- including planning cycles, processes and geographic coverage -- will

make more effective use of federal housing and transportation dollars.

• Redefine housing affordability and make it transparent. The partnership will develop

federal housing affordability measures that include housing and transportation costs and

other expenses that are affected by location choices. Although transportation costs now

approach or exceed housing costs for many working families, federal definitions of

housing affordability do not recognize the strain of soaring transportation costs on

homeowners and renters who live in areas isolated from work opportunities and

transportation choices. The partnership will redefine affordability to reflect those costs,

improve the consideration of the cost of utilities and provide consumers with enhanced

information to help them make housing decisions.

• Redevelop underutilized sites. The partnership will work to achieve critical

environmental justice goals and other environm ental goals by targeting development to

locations that already have infrastructure and offer transportation choices. Environmental

justice is a particular concern in areas where disinvestment and past industrial use

caused pollution and a legacy of contaminated or abandoned sites. This partnership will

help return such sites to productive use.

• Develop livability measures and tools. The partnership will research, evaluate and

recommend measures that indicate the livability of communities, neighborhoods and

metropolitan areas. These measures could be adopted in subsequent integrated

planning efforts to benchmark existing conditions, measure progress toward achieving

community visions and increase accountability. HUD, DOT and EPA will help

communities attain livability goals by developing and providing analytical tools to

evaluate progress as well as state and local technical assistance programs to remove

barriers to coordinated housing, transportation and environmental protection

investments. The partnership will develop incentives to encourage communities to

implement, use and publicize the measures.

• Align HUD, DOT and EPA programs. HUD, DOT and EPA will work to assure that

their programs maximize the benefits of their combined investments in our communities

for livability, affordability, environmental exce llence, and the promotion of green jobs of

the future. HUD and DOT will work together to identify opportunities to better coordinate

their programs and encourage location efficiency in housing and transportation choices.

HUD, DOT and EPA will also share information and review processes to facilitate betterinformed decisions and coordinate investments.

• Undertake joint research, data collection and outreach. HUD, DOT and EPA will

engage in joint research, data collection, and outreach efforts with stakeholders, to

develop information platforms and analytic tools to track housing and transportation

options and expenditures, establish standardized and efficient performance measures,

and identify best practices.

2

### STATEMENT OF

LISA P. JACKSON, ADMINISTRATOR

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

BEFORE THE U.S. SENATE

COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS

HEARING ON

GREENER COMMUNITIES, GREATER OPPORTUNITIES: NEW IDEAS FOR

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

June 16, 2009

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am delighted to appear before you today with

my colleagues Secretaries LaHood and Donovan to discuss our Agencies ’ work on sustainable

development. Mr. Chairman, I salute you for your long-time interest and work on the issues we

are here to discuss today.

We are happy to announce EPA’s entry into the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. I

thank Secretaries Donovan and LaHood for their lead ership on this issue. EPA has been working

for years on issues of smart grow th and this Partnership represen ts a real leap forward for not

only our agencies, but for the American people.

The Partnership recognizes that the work of our agencies is connected. In designing or

improving our communities to be sustainabl e for the long term, mobility, housing, and

environmental issues are enti rely interconnected. Working across agencies gives us an

opportunity to share knowledge, resources, and stra tegies that will improve public health and the

environment, cut costs and harmful emissions fr om transportation, and build more affordable

homes in communities all over the country.

### Most importantly, this Partnership acknowledges th at the missions of our three agencies do not

exist in separate, distinct bubbles. Where you live affects how you get around, and how you get

around often affects where you live. Both decisions affect our environment. In order to have the

most effective greenhouse gas re duction strategy, we should have a strategy to reduce vehicle

miles traveled. In order to provide truly affordab le housing, we should to take into account what

residents must pay for trans portation, energy, and water.

Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, our pr esence together here today demonstrates to

you and the American people that we are jointly co mmitted to the Sustainability Principles that

have been previously discussed. This partners hip will help advance each of our missions. It

represents a new approach for fede ral agencies. Our desire to wo rk together on these issues is

real.

There has been a long debate in this nation about the appropriate federal role in relation to land

use decisions. While it is true that development decisions are, and should be, primarily made at

the local, state, and tribal level, it is equally true that federal polic ies, rules, and spending

influence development patterns. We have an in terest—indeed, an obligation—to ensure that our

actions do not favor development that adversely affects the environment and public health.

When development contributes to the pollution of our waterways, dirties the air we breathe,

contaminates our drinking water, or dispropor tionally harms disadvantaged communities, then it

2

### is a federal responsibility in general—and sp ecifically an Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) responsibility—to protect Americans from these problems.

If we are smarter about how we grow, we can ma ke America’s big cities, small towns and rural

communities more resilient to the economic a nd environmental challenges facing America.

Through this partnership, our agencies will work together to help make sure our nation has:

• Well-designed, energy-efficient, and affordab le housing to meet the needs of Americans

regardless of their income, race, or geographic location;

• An integrated transportation, land use, and environmental planning system with more

options for reaching jobs, schools, parks, medical care, and other basic needs; and

• Waterways that are clean and safe for drinking, swimming, and fishing, air that is safe to

breathe, and land that is fr ee of toxic contamination.

We have created a framework that will guide the cooperative devel opment of policies,

regulations, spending priorities , and legislative proposals.

Around the country, communities are looking for ways to grow that:

• use less land and energy;

• provide safe, affordable housing options for people of all incomes and at all stages of life;

• make it easier for people to get to their destinations on foot, by bike, or by public transit;

and,

• direct growth to developed area s with existing infrastructure.

3

### Together, these development strategies emphasize environmental, economic, cultural, and social

sustainability. Our collective implementation of t hose policies at state, local, and tribal levels

will assure that we accommodate our nation’s anticipated growth in smarter, more sustainable

ways.

Vibrant and prosperous towns and cities will attract the resident s and business investment needed

for robust growth. When growth flows naturally to these places, it makes it easier to protect

environmental resources such as forests and wetlands, and helps preserve wildlife, farms, rural

landscapes and scenic beauty.

Smart growth principles are equa lly important in urban, suburban and rural areas. A few weeks

ago I visited Wyoming, where EPA’s Smart Growth Program helped Governor Dave

Freudenthal initiate a statewide conversation about the eff ects of the state’s energy boom on its

environmental resources – how it was affecti ng the water quality in Wyoming’s renowned

fishing rivers or encroaching on wildlife areas pr ized by hunters. In one of the least densely

populated states in the nation, resi dents sometimes found themselves sn arled in traffic. The jobs

were not in places the employees could afford to live. Smart growth approaches to problems like

these are just as relevant in small town rura l America as they are in New York, New Haven,

Birmingham or Houston.

Climate Change

At EPA, our focus will be on encouraging smart gr owth approaches to protect human health and

the environment. This includes using smart gr owth as a tool to combat climate change.

4

### Combined, buildings and transportation cont ribute 63% of our nation’s greenhouse gas

emissions. Smarter growth, combined with green building techniques, can significantly reduce

that number.

Climate change is no longer an academic discus sion. We don’t have th e luxury of a far-off day

of reckoning. The world’s leading scientists pr edict noticeable, perhaps even drastic, changes

within our lifetime. These changes will onl y get worse the longer we delay taking action.

We already see:

• more drought in some regions, which may in crease the length and severity of fire

seasons;

• stronger storms, which not only increase th e risk of flooding but can overwhelm overtaxed sewer infrastructure; and,

• sea-level rise, which may have significant ramifications for the millions of Americans

who live along our coasts.

We must start adapting to these potential changes now, but we also need to take more action to

reduce greenhouse gas emissions to lessen the seve rity of these changes over the long term.

EPA is taking aggressive action to reduce our impact on the climate wh ile strengthening our

economy. The President has committed to doubling w ithin the next three y ears our use of clean

energy. And, we have set an ambitious goal of cutting more than 80% of greenhouse gas

emissions by the year 2050.

5

### -- Renewable fuels will help us get there . We are working to strengthen standards that will

increase the amount of renewable fuels th at will be used in transportation.

-- Greener buildings will help us get there. EPA is addressing the many environmental and

health impacts of buildings -- pa rtnering with key players to im prove green building standards,

support needed research, provide bett er information to the public a nd pilot better practices in the

field, while taking the lead in greening our own facilities. In 2008, EPA helped HUD build over

6,000 ENERGY STAR homes for the affordable housing community.

-- Alternative sources of power will help us get there . The EPA Green Power Partnership

program works with more than 1,000 large and sm all U.S. companies, offering advice, technical

support, and tools to assist in the purchase of renewable energy.

-- More efficient cars will help us get there. Later this year, working with the Department of

Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safe ty Administration, EPA intends to propose the

first-ever car and SUV greenhouse gas emissi ons standards for 2012-2016 that will greatly

reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new cars.

But, even all of these approaches – as important as they are -- will not be enough. Transportation

uses 70 percent of the oil consumed in th is country and roughly 20 percent of U.S. CO 2



### emissions come from passenger vehicles. More e fficient vehicles and cleaner fuels simply will

not be enough to meet our greenhouse gas redu ction and energy independence goals. Reducing

the number of miles we drive must be part of the solution.

6

### There’s no need to wait for some technological breakthrough to reduce the amount of driving we

do. The technology to help people drive less exis ts today—it’s called sm art growth. We know

that investing in public transportation, maki ng communities more walkable, and creating more

housing near job centers re sults in less driving.

Clean Air

It is also critical to build on th e progress in air quality we’ve seen since the passage of the Clean

Air Act in 1990 – and smarter growth can help get us there. As we move forward, the continued

integration of air quality, land use, and transpor tation planning will be important.

For over 30 years, EPA has been the lead Federa l agency in coordinati ng state and local air

quality planning for all emissions sources, includ ing transportation. EPA helps state and local

agencies calculate emissions benefits from ma ny of the strategies th at support sustainable

communities – better transit, increased carpooling and other travel options. These resources can

help meet Clean Air Act air quality requirement s and build better, more livable communities.

EPA has worked in partnership with DOT for ove r 15 years to better inte grate air quality, land

use, and transportation planni ng through the Clean Air Act conformity program. The

transportation conformity program requires state and local agencies to regularly evaluate the

impact of new transportation activ ities on air quality. Transit and sustainable planning play a

key role in helping meet state air quality goals.

7

### Atlantic Station Redevelopment

But it is important that in addition to talking abou t lofty goals, we can show the impact in a real

world example: Atlantic Stati on is a 138-acre redevelopment proj ect in Atlanta, Georgia. The

former Atlantic Steel Mill site that – with EPA’ s help -- was reclaimed and redesigned to help

residents and workers significantly reduce the amount they need to drive. One of the largest

brownfield redevelopments in the U.S., this national model for smart growth includes 6 million

square feet of LEED-certified office space, 2 m illion square feet of retail and entertainment

space, and 1,000 hotel rooms, and it will ha ve between 3,000 and 5,000 residential units upon

full build-out

A shuttle system that carries 1 million people a year circulates between a commuter rail stop and

Atlantic Station. Space is reserved for light rail service in anticipat ion of future transit

investments. Residents of Atlantic Station dr ive an average of less than 14 miles per day,

compared to 32 miles a day for the average Atlantan.

Although Atlantic Station is an ex ample of a project that was deve loped, in part, to support state

and local air quality goals, it was also good for wa ter quality. Because it is compact, Atlantic

Station used much less land than a conventiona l development with the same amount of housing

and commercial space. This efficient land us e reduced annual stormwater runoff by almost 20

million cubic feet a year.

Water Infrastructure

8

### One of my priorities is to restore and protect the quality of Amer ica’s waterways. The

impressive results from Atlantic Station show th at well-planned development can be part of the

solution to water quality problems and is a core qua lity of sustainable communities. Another key

aspect of sustainable communities is making sure that we have reliable and safe water

infrastructure. Having cost-effective and reliable drinking wate r, wastewater treatment and

stormwater management systems is integral to protecting our health, economic vitality and

environment.

EPA is poised to significantly increase its f unding for wastewater infrastructure through the

Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF). The FY 2010 Budget requests $2.4 billion, a $1.7

billion increase over FY 2009 levels, for the Clea n Water SRF. This a dditional funding will help

communities meet the challenges of upgrading agi ng wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.

As part of our partnership with DOT and HUD, we will work with states a nd tribes to harmonize

water infrastructure investments with transpor tation and housing investments to promote smarter

growth.

EPA will encourage states to direct additional funds to cost-effective, environmentally preferable

approaches to infrastructure planning, design, repair, replacement and management that also

promote more sustainable communities. EPA w ill provide guidance and technical assistance to

states to encourage th em to use Clean Water State Revol ving Funds for projects using green

infrastructure and low-impact development a pproaches to stormwater management.

9

### In addition to improving water quality, the EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund can

support expanded housing choices and efficient trans portation. For example, in my state of New

Jersey, the state provides lower interest loans for water infrastructure projects that serve

developments that mix housing with retail, offi ces, and other amenities and provide residents

with transportation choices, such as transit villages.

In rural areas, New Jersey focuses on replaci ng failing septic systems rather than building

expensive new sewer systems that can be catalysts for sprawl. New Jersey has shown how

federal funding can be used in both rural and urba n areas to help communities develop and grow

sustainably.

Although federal statutory authority does not require states or tr ibes to adopt State Revolving

Fund practices and policies that favor smarter gr owth, EPA will provide technical assistance to

those states that wish to do so.

Healthy Communities and Equitable Development

Importantly, this new partnership with HUD and DOT will help us all make communities

healthier. With our coordinated approach, the tide of growth and development will raise all

boats. I am especially interested in work ing with my colleague s from DOT and HUD to

revitalize neighborhoods that have suffere d from decades of disinvestment.

Many properties available for development in urban and rural communities are brownfields—

properties where redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a

10

### contaminant. There are estimated to be more than 450,000 brownfield sites nationwide. EPA's

Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program is designed to empo wer states, tribes,

communities and other stakeholders to assess, clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields sites.

To date, EPA Brownfields Program has supporte d assessments at more than 13,800 properties

and clean-up of 366 properties, trained more than 5,000 residents living near brownfields

communities for environmental jobs with a 64% job placement rate and an average hourly wage

of $13.81, and leveraged over $13 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding.

Redevelopment of such sites is often difficult -- particularly for disadvantaged communities.

Because such sites are usually served by infras tructure and transportation, they represent

redevelopment opportunities that ar e critical to transforming years of disinvestment into a future

of prosperity.

Healthy communities are not only environmenta lly healthy, they are also socially and

economically strong. They offer employment and educational opportunities, safe and affordable

homes, access to recreation, health care, and other needs of dail y life, all close enough together

that people can choose to safely walk, bi ke, or take transit instead of driving.

This type of neighborhood is pa rticularly important for childre n and people who are physically

unable to drive, or those who ju st find it too expensive to buy and maintain a car. One study

found that while the average American family spends roughly 19 percent of its household budget

on transportation, households with good access to tr ansit spend just 9 per cent. In too many poor

11

### communities, walking and bicycling are neither safe nor pleasant, and public transit is just as

often unreliable or non-existent.

A healthy neighborhood is one where residents can get to the grocer y store or the doctor’s office

without a car if that’s what they want. It’s one where they can walk to the park to meet their

friends, bike to school, or take the bus to thei r job so they can read on their way to work.

These kinds of neighborhoods exist all over the c ountry, and market demand for them is strong.

In fact, the strong demand has driven up housing costs in many smart growth areas, too often

putting them off-limits to lower-income residents.

EPA is already working to create more environm entally responsible affordable housing in these

neighborhoods. Coordinating with state hous ing officials and the regional Council of

Governments, EPA’s Smart Growth Program recently helped four communities in the Hartford,

Connecticut, area figure out how to use state affo rdable housing funds to meet multiple goals.

This project brought together local and state policy makers, devel opers, and advocates to develop

guidelines for housing programs to create mi xed-income, mixed-use, green, compact

developments with a range of transportation options.

One redevelopment – on the site of a 27-acre abandoned shopping mall in Manchester,

Connecticut -- will receive EPA la nd revitalization funds to help create a plan that protects an

adjacent stream while making it a key feature of the project. The design will allow residents to

enjoy this natural resource a nd support a healthier watershed.

12

### 13 As partners, EPA, DOT, and HUD can help co mmunities make sure th at publicly financed

housing is attractive, safe, and c onvenient to daily destinations a nd that residents will have a

range of transportation options.

Conclusion

As a nation, we face the most serious economic downturn since the Gr eat Depression. Every

American is anxious about what that means – not just for their future but for future generations

as well. We are all working around the cl ock to get the economy moving again.

At the same time that we face this economic crisis, there is not a moment to lose in protecting

public health, the environment, and confronting the rapid advance of climate change.

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. Working together, Congress, EPA,

DOT, and HUD have a great opportunity to ach ieve the economic and environmental goals

President Obama has outlined for our nation.

## Statement of Secretary Shaun Donova n U.S. Department of Housing and

Urban Development Hearing before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and

Urban Affairs, United States Senate

June 16, 2009

Good morning, Chairman Dodd and members of the Committee. It is a pleasure to

be here today to speak about the critical link between housing, transportation and

environmental policy. I want to thank you and your Committee for your

leadership in developing and pushing for innovative and integrated approaches to

these issues. And I want to thank you for the opportunity to announce a landmark

agreement between the three agencies be fore your Committee today that includes

six “livability principles” that w ill guide our work together.

I think it is crucially important that th e federal government speak with one voice

on these issues, and these principles refl ect that conviction. They represent a

powerful statement of common goals, stra tegies and purpose – not only for the

three agencies you have here today, but for communities across the country whose

vitality in the 21 st 

## century depends on our ability to work together in partnership.

Earlier this year, I was pl eased to testify before th e House with my colleague,

Secretary Ray LaHood from the Department of Transportation. I’m glad I have the

opportunity to share the table with him again today, because since that March

testimony, we’ve taken important steps to improve coordi nation between our

departments.

I am especially pleased to have EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson join us today as a

partner in this effort – providing further evidence of our commitment to

collaboration and coordination across the entire federal government.

It has been a remarkable several months, Mr. Chairman, since I first appeared

before you at my confirmation hearing. As I said at the time, my number one job

was to address the nation’s mo rtgage crisis. I believe we have begun to get real

results with the ambitious foreclosure plan we’ve offered. Last week alone, 30,000

additional modification offers were made to borrowers, bringing the total number

to over 150,000. But as I saw for myself when I traveled with the Chairman to

Connecticut several weeks back, there rema ins a great deal more to be done. We

still need the servicers to do their part in helping to keep Americans in their homes

to complete more modifications and refinance more loans.

But more than ever, I am convinced that solutions to the myriad challenges facing

our housing markets must be addressed in a comprehensive way, to reduce our

1

## dangerous dependence on fore ign oil and drive down energy costs for consumers

and businesses alike.

This means that HUD, in collaboration w ith our partner agencies, must find new,

integrated solutions to the multidimension al challenges faced by cities and suburbs

and rural areas. This new approach will require collaboration across jurisdictional

lines and enable metropolitan leaders to “join up” housing, transportation, and

other policies to address the critical i ssues of affordability, competitiveness, and

sustainability.

Problem Statement

As I mentioned in my testimony before the House Appropriations Committee,

HUD’s central mission – ensuring that ev ery American has access to decent,

affordable housing – cannot be achieve d in a vacuum. For all our housing

challenges today, I believe that goal can be realized – but only in the broader

context of housing, transportation, and energy costs and choices that American

families experience each day in c ities, suburbs and rural areas.

The average American household now spe nds 34 percent of their annual budget on

housing and 18 percent on transportation. More than half of their budgets are

wrapped up in these two expenses alone.

For low

‐ income working families, the impact is particularly severe – transportation

constitutes almost a third of househol d income. The extremes can be eye

‐ opening –

the average Houston

‐ area household spends over $11,000 per year on

transportation. That means less money for groceries, child care, doctor’s visits.

And in many metropolitan areas, work ing families are spending more on

transportation than on housing.

The connection between transportation opti ons and home values is clear. As the

recent housing downturn has shown, auto

‐ dependent houses—that is, homes that

virtually require the resident to have access to a car—ar e more vulnerable to price

devaluation. Homes in distant or remo te neighborhoods showed a greater decline

in value, while some centrally

‐ located homes held or increased their value

compared to regional averages. For milli ons of Americans, these declines can

mean weakened retirement security, or inability to send their children off to

college.

2

## In less-connected developments–for in stance, many suburbs—while housing costs

may be lower, transportation costs are hi gher – and the combination of housing and

transportation costs now averages 57 percent of income for working families in

metropolitan areas.

The destructive effects of this mism atch between good hous ing choices and good

transportation choices are particularly acute in metropolitan regions, which look

very different from those that existed in the mid

‐ 1960’s, when HUD was created

and much of our transportation system was built. The populations of metropolitan

areas and employment opportun ities available in them are now widely dispersed,

with only 22 percent of the jobs in the top metropolitan areas located within 3

miles of the central business district. That can mean less time spent with family

and more time stuck in traffic.

These changes have made our work at H UD that much more challenging. As

decentralization has increased, the spa tial mismatch between the location of

affordable housing and employment and educational opportunities in metropolitan

areas has worsened. Fewer low

‐ wage families can find housi ng near their work, as

affordable housing is often located in older urban and suburban areas. And

businesses located in those areas are dependent on workers who can commute –

shrinking the talent pool and incurring higher transportation and energy costs.

As my colleague from EPA will tell you, d ecentralization and sprawl have a clear

impact on the environment as well – thr ough the loss of wetlands and open space,

and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

In recent years, we’ve made great progres s in our understanding of the sources

behind carbon emissions. As the American people are well aware, transportation

accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. But I think most people

would be surprised to learn that buildi ngs account for almost 40 percent of our

emissions – about half of which is through our homes 1



## .

In response to these trends, we have made a strong comm itment to energy efficient

green building through the President’s Recove ry Act investments. We’re directing

nearly $4 billion to public housing author ities for public housing modernizations,

including significant green and energy-e fficiency upgrades. We’re investing

approximately $250 million more in ener gy-efficient retrofits of multifamily

1 Department of Energy 2008 Building Energy Data Book – buildings account for 38 percent of carbon emissions,

residential buildings account for 20 percent.



### 3

## housing with project-based assistance, and emphasizing energy efficiency in

Native American housing programs.

We are also using the Neighborhood Stab ilization Program to stabilize and revive

neighborhoods with heavy con centrations of foreclosed properties and are using

sustainability measures developed in partnership with EPA’s Smart Growth

program, such as access to transit and use of green building criteria, to help direct

that $2 billion resource.

Looking beyond the Recovery Act, our Fis cal Year 2010 budget proposal includes

initiatives to support sustainable grow th. We propose to create a $100 million

Energy Innovation Fund that will help cat alyze a home ener gy retrofit market

through innovative public and private sector financing, and re-engineering FHA

energy efficient mortgages to increase th e number of homes retrofitted for energy

efficiency.

But as HUD works to make bu ildings more energy efficien t, offer more affordable

housing options that increas e opportunity in our comm unities, and help working

families facing foreclosure or rapidly declin ing home values, it’s clear that we need

to integrate our housing and transportation systems in a way that encourages smart

land use, making our communities more resilient, more productive and more

sustainable for the decades to come.

Sustainable Communities Initiative

That is why our budget also includes a proposal for a $150 million Sustainable

Communities Initiative, to be managed by our new Office of Sustainable Housing

and Communities.

As the Chairman has said, we need to coordinate climate change, energy,

community development, housing and transportation policy in the most

comprehensive, holistic way possible.

I believe creating an Office of Sustaina ble Housing and Communities inside HUD

to serve as a single point of contact with other federal agencies is the best way we

can achieve that goal. Already, these kinds of offices at our partner agencies have

helped break down barriers to change – they have proven to be a successful model

for interagency coordinati on and collaboration.

First, HUD and DOT will jointly admi nister a $100 million fund to encourage

metropolitan regions, via competition, to de velop integrated housing, land use, and

transportation plans – and to use those in tegrated plans to drive the planning and

4

## decision

‐ making of localities, which will help increase transportation choices and

reduce combined housing and transpor tation costs for American families.

The goal of this initiative is not just to de velop plans – it is to articulate a vision for

growth tailored to specific metropolit an markets that federal housing,

transportation, and other fede ral investments can support.

Funding to these metropolitan regions woul d generally be used to support the

development of integrated, state

‐ of

‐ the

‐ art regional development plans that use the

latest data and most sophisticated analy tic, modeling, and mappi ng tools available.

These efforts will benefit urban, subur ban and rural communities alike. The 2007

American Housing Survey estimates that nearly 50 percent of people who live in

rural places today live within the boundaries of metropolitan statistical areas. This

requires a level of integrated planning th at spans jurisdictional boundaries in new

and unprecedented ways.

We can’t afford to be territorial about these issues any longer.

Our fiscal year 2010 budget also includes a proposal for $40 million in grants that

will be used to support metropolitan and local leaders in making market-shifting

changes in local zoning and la nd use rules. The grants will also assist states and

localities to design and implement a variet y of planning reforms at the local and

regional levels.

As we work towards an integrated planning process, we will also plan to recast the

definition of “affordability” in America. With the costs of transportation now

approaching or exceeding those of housing for many working families, we will

work to jointly develop, with our partners in the Department of Transportation as

well with EPA, a housing and tran sportation affordability index.

Just as a potential car buyer can see on th e window sticker how energy efficient an

automobile is, we need the same thi ng for our homes and our buildings. An

affordability index will empower cons umers and businesses alike with the

information they need to make informed choices about where they and how they

live, and in the process helping to create a more dynamic, effici ent marketplace.

That is why we intend to share all this data, research, and evaluation with the

private sector to catalyze innovation and maximize market efficiency.

5

## We will also conduct an intensive review of our respective programs to ascertain

how to support the marriage of housing and transportation, and to emphasize

location efficiency in all that we do.

In housing programs, for example, perhaps we can give preference to projects that

offer participants choices for public tr ansit, employment opportunities, and other

important advantages. We have begun to do that with the second round of

Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding, as I described earlier. I intend to

subject all of our programs – including FHA – to a rigorous review that determines

how we can reorient the business of our de partment in support of this integrated

planning.

Finally, we are also estab lishing a jointly-administere d research and evaluation

effort. Our budget proposal requests $10 m illion to support this research. This

historic effort will aggre ssively engage on joint data development, information

platforms, analytic tools, and research to better track housing and transportation

expenditures by location. It will establish standardized and effective performance

measures and engage in rigorous analysis of the transit-oriented development

projects already in existence to identif y best practices. And it will evaluate

location efficient mortgages and energy efficient mortgages.

Partnership Update – Livability Principles

I’m also pleased to report that since March, when we announced our agreement

with DOT, we have made significant pr ogress. Teams from our agencies are

meeting on a weekly basis, and addressing each element of the partnership.

Further, we are happy to a nnounce that EPA is now a full partner in this effort.

They will work with HUD a nd DOT to address water infrastructure issues, expand

technical assistance to state and local gove rnments, return br ownfield sites to

productive use, and address hazardous waste and other barriers to reinvestment in

older communities.

As a result of our agencies’ work, I am pleased to join with my DOT and EPA

colleagues to announce a uniform statement of livability principles. For the first

time, these principles provide a uniform set of guidelines for each agency to

formulate and implement policies and program s. More importantly , they mean that

we will all be working off the same pla ybook to better serve American families

who expect more affordable and sustaina ble choices in their communities.

6

## For the first time, the Federal government will speak with one voice on housing,

environmental and transportation policy.

The first principle – Providing More Transportation Choices – addresses our need

to expand the options available to Americ an families, whether commuting to work,

dropping children off at school , or running errands. It is no secret that providing

safe, reliable and affordable transportatio n choices is essential to making a home

livable. Expanding transportation choices by making public transit, biking, and

walking viable options is also a key strategy towards reducing our dependence on

foreign oil, improving the quality of the air we breathe, limiting the threat of

greenhouse gas pollution and pr otecting the public health.

The second principle – Promoting Equitable, Affordable Housing – is at the heart

of HUD’s mission. A livable community must be both equi table and affordable.

Livability is about more than just being e fficient – we must also be inclusive.

In order for our neighborhoods to thrive, our regions to grow, and our nation to

prosper, we must support communities that provide opportunities for people of all

ages, incomes, races and ethnicities to liv e, work, learn and play together.

The third principle – Increasing Economic Competitiveness – pinpoints the need to

coordinate housing, transportation and e nvironmental policy to make us more

competitive and productive. Our nation’s ab ility to compete in a global economy is

dependent upon how quickly and efficiently we can connect our labor force to

education and employment opportunities. That mission depends on efficient

housing and transportation patterns that en sure the timely delivery of goods and

services.

The fourth principle – Supporting Existing Communities – identifies the need to

support community revitalization, build upon existing public investments, and

preserve our nation’s rural land.

This has been a historic role for HU D, through our block grant investments in

cities, counties and rural ar eas. It makes no sense to ignore the vast resources

ready to be rediscovered in America’s cities and towns. And when we take

advantage of these cost-effective oppor tunities to invest in our existing

neighborhoods, we help mitigate the loss of open space, preserve farmlands and

reduce commuting burdens on working families.

The fifth principle – Expanding Partnerships and leveraging Investment – focuses

on increasing the effectiveness of American government at all leve ls. We want to

boost the capacity of local communities to mo re effectively plan for future growth,

7

## by addressing housing, transportation and ot her critical issues through coordinated

work, and support the ability of local co mmunities to think and act regionally.

Finally, the last principle – Valuing Communities and Neighborhoods – brings the

entire effort together. We must ensure that federal investme nts support cohesive,

safe, healthy and walkable communities, whet her in cities, suburbs, or rural areas.

Research shows that people who live in wa lkable communities are more likely to

be active and less likely to be overweight, thus improving their health. 2 

## As I said

at the outset, each of the federal partne rs represented today, while we manage

separate programs, must be dedicated to the single principle of building strong,

sustainable communities.

So we have our playbook, Mr. Chairm an: strong evidence that by working

collaboratively across agencies – housing, transportation, and environment – we

can better rise to the challenges before us, and implement the sort of innovative

solutions that the American people deserve. Solutions that will allow us to protect

our environment, support their mobility, and deliver safe, decent, affordable homes

in which to live.

But the real test of our commitment will be in putting the principles into action. I

propose to do that in several ways:

First, over the next few months I intend to implement a process at HUD, led by

Deputy Secretary Sims, and our new Office of Sustainable Housing and

Communities, to engage ever y program and every office, at headquarters and in the

field, to identify the barriers that they en counter, whether institutional, regulatory,

or statutory, in implementing these princi ples. I look forward to working with you

to determine the best way to break down these barriers – be it through legislation

or regulatory reform.

I will also be asking for their ideas, s uggestions and recommendations about how

we can incorporate these livability principl es throughout our programs. I will also

reach out to our partners, and work with them, to adopt these principles as they

invest in their communities.

This must be an inclusive process – and an inclusive process depends on listening.

Second, I will ask our program offices to incorporate these principles in HUD’s

next Annual Performance Plan, and our annual Management Plan, which

2 A Study of Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality and H ealth in King County, WA Lawrence Frank and Company,

Inc.



### 8

### 9 

## represents the operating statement for th e Department, both here in Washington

and in 82 field offices around the country. Our field offices are a unique and

important resource for bringing these pr inciples to life in the communities we

serve.

Third, we look forward to sharing with yo u the performance measures that we are

developing for each of these principles – so that they can be measured in tangible

outcomes on the ground.

As I told you during my confirmation, Mr. Chairman, I’m a numbers guy. I

believe in evidence-based government a nd accountability. I’ve directed our new

Transformation Office to develop st rong performance measures for HUD’s

programs, and I expect nothi ng less as we turn these pr inciples into policy.

These performance measures will form th e criteria for measuring the success of

our proposed $150 million FY 2010 Sustaina ble Communities Initiative. We will

also look at ways that th ese can be used to measur e the results of other HUD

programs.

So I’m optimistic – that with these ideas, these new partnerships and the leadership

of my colleagues here today – and you as well, Mr. Chairman – we are poised to

build the stronger, more resilient and su stainable communities Americans want and

need in the 21 st 

## century.

Thank you Mr. Chairman, and members of the Committee – I look forward to

answering your questions.

### STATEMENT OF

THE HONORABLE RAY LAHOOD

SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS

U.S. SENATE

HEARING ON

GREENER COMMUNITIES, GREATER OPPORTUNITIES: NEW IDEAS FOR

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

JUNE 16, 2009

Chairman Dodd and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the Department of

Transportation’s (DOT) activities in suppor t of livable communities, comprehensive

planning and sustainable development.

The President has made livable communities a key aspect of his agenda and the Vice

President has also highlighted it in his Middle Class initiative. How a community is

designed – including the layout of the roads, transit systems and walkways – has a huge

impact on its residents. Transportation and housing are the two largest expenses for the

average American household. Reducing the ne ed for motor vehicle trips and providing

access to transportation choices can address this cost and lower the average household

expenditure on transportation, freeing up money for housing, education, and savings.

The Surface Transportation Authorization provides us with an opportunity to incorporate

these important priorities into the nation’s transportation pol icy. My Department looks

forward to working with members of C ongress to make livable communities a

centerpiece of the new authorizat ion. I’ll discuss that in grea ter detail later. I would like

to first discuss the efforts we are undertaki ng in advance of reauthorization to foster

livable communities.

First, I am pleased to announce that Admi nistrator Jackson of the Environmental

Protection Agency has joined the Sustainable Communities Partnership between

Secretary Donovan of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and

me to help American families gain be tter access to affordable housing, more

transportation options and healthier communities. This partnership will ensure that these

housing and transportation goals are achiev ed while also better protecting the

environment, promoting equitable development, and helping to address the challenges of

climate change.

### Each agency brings particular expertise to the partnership that can help institute real

improvements in American communities. Th e agencies have developed the following

principles that will direct the collecti ve efforts for implementing this program:

• Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable and economical

transportation choices to decrease hous ehold transportation costs, reduce our

nations’ dependence on foreign oil, imp rove air quality, reduce greenhouse gas

emissions and promote public health.

• Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient

housing choices for people of all ages, in comes, races and ethnicities to increase

mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

• Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness

through reliable and timel y access to employment centers, educational

opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers as well as expanded

business access to markets.

• Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing

communities – through such strategies as transit oriented, mixed-use

development and land recycling – to incr ease community rev italization, improve

the efficiency of public works investme nts, and safeguard rural landscapes.

• Coordinate policies and leverage investment. Align federal policies and

funding to remove barriers to collaborat ion, leverage funding and increase the

accountability and effectiveness of all leve ls of government to plan for future

growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated

renewable energy.

• Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of

all communities by investing in healthy, sa fe and walkable neighborhoods – rural,

urban or suburban.

The agencies are working together to identi fy how we can align our current programs to

support these principles. We are considering what the critical elements of a livability

plan are. We are looking at what performance measures can be used to determine whether

the policy objectives have been achieved and examining whether data exists to support

the measures.

The second area where the Department has al ready begun to emphasize the importance of

livable communities was through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

(ARRA). ARRA created a discretionary fund of $1.5 billion available through

September 30, 2011, for the Department to make grants on a competitive basis for capital

investments in surface transporta tion infrastructure projects that will have a significant

impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. Selection criteria were recently

established for these Transportation Invest ment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)

2

### Discretionary Grants. Projects that promot e greater mobility, a cleaner environment and

more livable communities will r eceive priority over those th at do not. This funding will

open the door to many new innovative and cutting-edge transportation projects.

Applications will be accept ed until September 15, 2009 with awards to be announced no

later than February 17, 2010. The TIGER Discretionary Grant program provides the

opportunity to highlight projec ts that address livability and that make significant

improvements to communities and regions.

WHY LIVABILITY IS IMPORTANT

Our goal is to build livable communities, where safe, convenient and affordable

transportation is available to all people, regard less of what mode they use. For the past

50 years, most government investment in transportation has undermined this goal.

In most communities, jobs, homes and other destinations are located apart and far away

from one another, necessita ting a separate car ride fo r every errand. Coordinating

transportation and land-use decisions and inve stments enhances the effectiveness of both

and increases the efficiency of federal trans portation spending. Strategies that support

mixed-use development, mixed-income commu nities and multiple transportation options

help to reduce traffic congestion, pollution and energy use.

A new focus on livability can help transform the way transportation serves the American

people and the contribution it makes to th e quality of life in our communities.

Transportation can play an enhanced role in creating safer, healthier communities with

the strong economies needed to support our families. As the population increases, we

must identify new strategies to move people and goods within communities and

throughout the Nation. Integrating transporta tion planning with community development

and expanding transportation options will not only improve connectivity and influence

how people choose to travel, but also lower transportation costs, reduce dependence on

foreign oil and decrease emissions.

Livable communities are mixed-use neighbor hoods with highly-connected streets

promoting mobility for all users, whether they are children walking or biking to school or

commuters riding transit or driving motor ve hicles. Benefits include improved traffic

flow, shorter trip lengths, sa fer streets for pedestrians a nd cyclists, lower greenhouse gas

emissions, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, increased trip-chaining, and independence

for those who prefer not to or are unable to drive. In addition, investing in a “complete

street” concept stimulates private-sector ec onomic activity by increa sing the viability of

street-level retail small businesses an d professional serv ices, creating housing

opportunities and extending the usefulness of school and transit facilities.

Mixed-use, compact development can result in an increase in walking and biking to

destinations of short distances. Currently, American adults travel 25 million miles a day

in trips of a half-mile or less, of which nearly 60 percent ar e vehicle trips. A 2005 Seattle

study found that residents traveled 26 per cent fewer vehicle miles in neighborhoods

where land uses were mixed and streets were better connected. In these areas, non-auto

3

### travel was easier than in nei ghborhoods that were more disper sed and less connected. If a

large share of the travelling public could walk or bike for short trips, it is estimated that

the Nation could save over one million gallons of gas and millions of dollars in motor

fuel costs per day. Reduced use of vehicl es for these short trips will also lower

emissions, as these are particularly polluting trips. The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention has extensively studied the bene fits of physical activity like walking and

biking, finding that it can improve the health of Americans and lower medical costs. A

study in 2003 found that people who live in mo re sprawling areas generally weigh more

and are more likely to have higher blood pressu re than those that live in more compact

areas. The average weight of individuals who live in the most sprawl ing areas can be as

much as 6 pounds more than their counterparts in dense urban areas with access to more

active transportation options.

The elements of livability are important to both urban and rural communities. A

transportation system that provides reliable, safe access to jobs, education, health care

and goods and services is every bit as importa nt to rural communities as it is to urban

areas. Remote locations present unique chal lenges to mobility, including ensuring access

for older citizens to services and activities. Providing transp ortation choices can increase

community mobility; but the types of options in rural areas might be different, focusing

on a variety of intercity transportation i nvestments. As economic development is

undertaken in rural areas, focusing that deve lopment in town and commercial centers can

increase access to necessities and enable one-stop-shopping for many residents, thus

reducing fuel costs and time on the road and enhancing a sense of community.

For example, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, th e City, County and Metropolitan Planning

Organizations (MPOs) developed PlanCheye nne which is an integrated community

master plan that defines the Cheyenne ar ea future growth. The plan places specific

emphasis on integrating three major elements ofthe community’s planning efforts: landuse, transportation, and parks and recreat ion and open space. The transportation

component of the plan promotes devel oping mixed-use and activity centers along a

network of principal arterials. Incidental ly, EPA worked with Cheyenne to engage

residents in developing policy options to implement PlanCheyenne’s vision.

Livability incorporates the concept of co llaborative decision-maki ng. By involving the

public early in the planning process and coor dinating transportation activities with other

activities related to healthy, sustainable comm unities, we improve the quality of life for

all Americans. Collaborative , interdisciplinary decisions get good results, particularly

more public-support and reduced costs and time to complete transportation projects.

Automobile congestion impacts our communities and quality of life. According to the

2007 Urban Mobility report prepared by th e Texas Transportation Institute, traffic

congestion continues to worsen in American cities of all sizes, creating a nearly $80

billion annual drain on the U.S. economy in the form of 4.2 billion lost hours resulting

from travel delay and 2.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel. The report notes that congestion

caused the average peak-period traveler to spend an extra 38 hours of travel time and

consume and additional 26 gallons of fuel annually, amounting to a cost of $710 per

4

### traveler. Although recent data suggest that tr avel, as measured by vehicle-miles traveled,

has been less in recent months , we nevertheless need to give that time and money back to

our economy and our citizens.

Ways to greatly improve the efficiency of the entire transportation network include

expanded and improved transit se rvices; increa sed ridesharing; variable road pricing,

managing freight movement and other demand management strategies; and managing our

road and transit systems better through Intelligent Transportation Systems, and other

traffic flow improvements. Other options in clude integrated transportation, land-use and

housing planning policies that encourage mixe d-use, compact developments that reduce

the need for motor vehicle trips and support mo re transportation options to reduce travel

distances and time through cities is a ve ry important part of livability.

The American Public Transportation Asso ciation (APTA) reports that increasing

numbers of Americans took transit – an estimated 10.7 billion trips in 2008, the highest

level of ridership in 52 year s and a modern ridership reco rd. And this trend continued,

despite falling gas prices and an economic recession towards the end of the year.

Increased transit ridership is having a real impact on the environment.

There are great examples of communities that are implementing the concepts of livability

and are planning for a positive future. For example, the Envision Utah Public/Private

Partnership—partially funded by EPA—was fo rmed to guide the development of a

broadly and publicly supported Quality Growth Strategy, the Envision Utah Plan. This

plan guides development and creates growth st rategies that protect Utah’s environment,

economic strengths and provides a sustainable quality of life for its residents. Some of the

major goals of this plan include increased mobility and number of transportation choices

while providing a wide range of housi ng choices for Utah’s residents.

It was a priority for those involved in developi ng this plan to ensure that families could

live near one another throughout their lives. This is onl y possible in an area where

seniors can get around even when they have to curb driving. And it is necessary to have

a range of housing choices that support people at all stages of life: apartments for young

people just starting out, condos or small houses for young couples’ first homes, larger

homes for families and smaller homes again for those who no longer can or desire to take

care of a large home. When there is a mi x of housing types in a walkable neighborhood,

the Envision Utah effort found that it is more possible for grandpa rents to live within

walking distance of their grandchildren.

Creating livable communities will result in im proved quality of life for all Americans and

create a more efficient and more accessible tr ansportation network that services the needs

of individual communities. Fostering the concept of livability in transportation projects

and programs will help America’s neighborhoods become safer, healthier and more

vibrant.

IMPORTANCE OF FEDERAL TRAN SPORTATION INVESTMENT TO

LIVABLE COMMUNITIES

5

### Federal investments in transportation syst ems and infrastructure, including aviation,

highways, rail, bus, ferries, a nd other public transportation, have been vitally important to

the Nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas, small- and mid-sized cities, and in rural

areas. These systems create links between hom e, school, work, health care, recreation

areas, and other important dest inations. Since 1984, the numbe r of cities with publicly

funded passenger rail service has more than doubled. A decade ago, two out of every

five residents in rural and small urban communities did not have access to public

transportation. Since then, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has been

instrumental in bringing new public tran sportation options to dozens of these

communities. Tribal areas also benefit from FTA investments that afford greater

accessibility and mobility options.

Federal transportation investment has incr eased mobility and accessibility throughout the

country. Businesses benefit from easier a ccess to suppliers, a larger labor pool, and

expanded consumer markets. These factor s can reduce transportation costs both for

business-related passenger travel and for the movement of commercial freight. Access to

larger numbers of workers, consumers, and s uppliers also increases the attractiveness of a

community to businesses. These investments, combined with initiatives aimed at making

the most efficient use of existing capacity, will measurably improve quality of life in

America.

Changes in demographics, shifts in land-us e patterns, and the emergence of new job

markets require different approaches to ma naging mobility, particularly for people who

may not be able to use existing transportation services due to age, disability, location, or

other factors. Federal funding for public transportation has provided a framework around

which nine Federal departments are colla borating to deliver community-based

transportation services under various authorities. These se rvices, which may be operated

by private non-profit groups and community or ganizations, offer a lifeline to persons

with disabilities, older Americans, and individuals and families who do not possess

automobiles.

The Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program was established to address the

unique transportation challenges faced by we lfare recipients and low-income persons

seeking to obtain and maintain employment . Many new entry-level jobs are located in

suburban areas, and low-income individuals have difficulty accessing these jobs from

their inner city, urban, or rural neighborhoods . In addition, many entr y level-jobs require

working late at night or on weekends when conventional transit services are either

reduced or non-existent. A re port published a few years ago by APTA noted that small

urban and rural communities may be particularly at risk, as nearly 2/3 of the residents in

these areas have few, if any, transportation options. APTA found that 41 percent of the

residents of small urban and rural communities have no transit available to connect them

to jobs and services, while another 25 percen t lived in areas with below average transit

services.

6

### Transit-oriented, mixed-use development ha s the potential to pr ovide efficient and

convenient options for employers, developers , young professionals and families in many

large and small cities around the United States. It also allows people to age in place, and

in the same communities as their children and grandchildren, Transit-oriented

development also has the potential to cont ribute significantly to the revitalization of

downtown districts, foster wa lkable neighborhoods, and offer an alternative to urban and

suburban sprawl and automobile-focused commuting. Moreover, transit-oriented

development (TOD) in areas with existing tr ansit service can turn subway stops and

commuter rail stations into hubs for mixed-us e development where workers can walk (or

connect by a short bus ride) to jobs, housing and services. Over the past year, these

communities have not seen as high foreclosure rates as their car-dependent counterparts.

LINKAGE BETWEEN TRANSPORTA TION, HOUSING AND LIVABLE

COMMUNTITIES

Clearly the linkage between public transpor tation and urban development is crucial,

particularly when it comes to low-income housing. Over the past five years, HUD and

DOT’s FTA have explored opportunities to coordinate housing and transportation

planning and investment decision-making. A June 2003 roundtable hosted by the

National Academy of Sciences focused on possible data sharing and development of

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) platform by the two agencies.

Following the roundtable, HUD and DOT en tered into a June 2005 Interagency

Agreement (IAA) to help communities realize the potential demand for transit-oriented

housing. The IAA was aimed at closing th e gap between the projected demand for

housing near transit in particular metropolitan regions, and realizing the development of

that housing in proximity to new or exis ting transit corridor s in these regions.

The IAA provided support for a jo intly funded research study on Realizing the Potential:

Expanding Housing Opportuni ties Near Transit. The report, published in April 2007 by

the Center for Transit Oriented Development, included five case studies examining the

role of public transportation in the locati on of affordable housing in Boston, Charlotte,

Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Portland. More recently, DOT and HUD released a

report to Congress in September 2008 on Better Coordination of Transportation and

Housing Programs . This report outlines strategies to continue and expand coordination

in the areas of mixed-income and afford able housing choices near transit.

In addition, DOT and HUD have been working as partners to continue development of

coordinated, integrated stra tegies, methods and policies to promote the role of public

transportation in affordable housing. Key among these policies and strategies is the

integration of transportation and housing planning activities.

Presently, transportation planni ng is carried out at the regi onal level in metropolitan and

urbanized areas or at the state level for rural and non-urbanized communities, whereas

housing planning is conducted at the local municipal/county level. Bringing these

disparate groups together to integrat e planning of housing development and

7

### transportation improvements is fundamental to locating new and preserving existing

affordable housing in proximity to public tr ansportation. This e ffort will include:

• Outreach to and capacity building for stakeholders

• Convening of expert roundtables and other forums;

• Development of appropriate tools to support location efficiencies;

• Promotion of incentives for housing relate d transit-oriented development within

FTA programs

• Identification of appropr iate research topics;

• Development of performance measures, information systems, and reporting

mechanisms; and

• Development of a Best Practices Manual – a multi-scenario “how-to” manual for

promoting development of mixed-income hous ing near transit, to be published by

the end of the year.

DOT and HUD are developing a work plan fo r this effort, which will provide for

briefings between the two agencies to bette r understand each other’s programs and how

their community development activities can be aligned for greater effi ciencies of Federal

investments.

The Department has engaged its Volpe Na tional Transportation Systems Center to

provide technical and logi stical support, and is using FTA’ s regional offices in this effort

to facilitate better coordina tion with our Federal partners , MPOs, State departments of

transportation, and grantees in communities wh ere the planning is actually carried out.

Finally, the Government Accountability Offi ce is completing an examination of this

effort in both agencies. The Department w ill certainly ensure that recommendations are

appropriately acted upon when the report is published. Although limited to affordable

housing, the results of this DOT-HUD effort will greatly influence and support the

Department’s broader Livability Co mmunities Initiative and the DOT-HUD-EPA

Partnership.

DOT has also initiated a Federal Interage ncy Working Group on Transportation, Landuse, and Climate Change in which HUD and EP A are participating. The goal of this 13-

agency working group is to identify opportuni ties to better align Federal programs and

resources to achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) re ductions through land-use solutions. The

working group is currently developing perfor mance metrics, research and data needs for

several areas where the Federal Government can begin to align efforts to address GHGs.

The results of this work will greatly benefit DOT’s livability efforts.

DOT’S LIVABLE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE

I am committed to improving the livability of our nation’s communities and, in fact,

shortly after I was confirmed as Secretary of Transportation, I charged the Department’s

Policy Office with developing a DOT-wide Livabl e Communities Initiative. I am pleased

to note that DOT already had numerous program s that foster livability – everything from

8

### funding for bicycle and pedestrian facilities , ensuring safety, protecting and enhancing

the human and natural environment, connecti ng remote communities to needed services,

to reducing the impact of freight trans portation, congestion mitigation and traffic

management.

The ARRA also provided opportunities to prom ote livability. States must spend three

percent of their allocation on the Trans portation Enhancement Program, which is a

primary source of bicycle and pedestrian in frastructure funding. The remainder of the

“highway” money is flexible, permitting stat es and metropolitan areas to spend this

funding on roads, bridges, transit, bike a nd pedestrian infrastructure, freight and

passenger rail or ports.

Additional actions would enhance transporta tion’s contribution to strong and connected

communities. First, the range of transpor tation choices available to all Americans –

including transit, walking, bicycling, and improved connectivity for various modes –

must be expanded. American businesses must also have effective transportation to meet

their logistical needs so that they can c ontinue to provide j obs for their surrounding

communities. All segments of the population must have access to safe and convenient

transportation options to get to work, hous ing, medical services , schools, shopping and

other essential activities including recreati on. Just as important, our transportation

investment decisions need to be consis tent with policies concerning greenhouse gas

emissions. And efforts must be renewed to re scue other adverse eff ects of transportation

on all aspects of the natural and human environment.

Although we are working to finalize the details, my goal through DOT’s Livable

Communities Initiative is to enhance the economic and social well-being of all

Americans by creating and maintaining a safe, reliable, intermodal and accessible

transportation network that e nhances choices for transporta tion users, providing easy

access to employment opportunities and services. The initia tive will need to build on

innovative ways of doing business that promote mobility and enhance the unique

characteristics of our neighborhoods, communities and regions.

Under the Livable Communities In itiative, my intent is to:

• Better integrate transportation and land- use planning to inform decision-making

about public investments;

• Foster multimodal transportation systems and effective multimodal connections;

• Provide more safe transportation options to improve access to housing, jobs,

health care, businesses, recreation, public services and social activities;

• Increase public particip ation in coordinating tr ansportation and housing

investments

• Improve public health by reducing no ise and air pollution emissions and by

increasing opportunities for physical ac tivity through walking and bicycling.

• Plan for the unique transportation need s of individual communities; and better

accommodate the needs of our aging population.

9

### 10 REAUTHORIZATION OF SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS

The current authorization for Federal su rface transportation programs – the Safe,

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users

(SAFETEA-LU) expires at the e nd of Fiscal Year 2009. The timing is such that we have

a window of opportunity to think differently about transportation and propose bold, new

approaches to improve the livability of our Nation’s communities as part of

reauthorization.

Whatever legislative approach is pursued, we will be ta king a hard look at potential

changes to metropolitan and statewide transpor tation planning processes to ensure that

they improve livability. We believe it is im portant to include the six principles agreed

upon in the DOT-HUD-EPA partnership to guide our authorization discussions.

The ongoing collaboration with our partners at HUD and EPA will improve the linkage

between housing, water, and transportation inve stments and is a piece of the overall effort

to combine land-use and transportation pl anning. This shift in development of

transportation plans can provide for much more efficient Federal spending and can ensure

a holistic approach to transportation system s – breaking away from the planning silos

between transportation and land-use plans.

The Administration’s surface transportation reauthorization propos al is still under

development, and I look forward to discussing all the options for ma king livability a real

centerpiece of the final proposal.

Thank you for the opportunity to appear befo re you today. I look forward to working

with the Congress, HUD, EPA, and the tran sportation community to expand livability

within our communities, including the conn ections between housing, transportation, and

the environment.

# Leveraging the Partnership: **Leveraging the Partnership:**

DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs for Sustainable Communities April 2010



### This guide to federal programs is intended to help communities identify resources available

to support their efforts to promote livable and sustainable communities.

In June 2009, the Partnership

for Sustainable Communities

was formed by the U.S.

Department of Housing and

Urban Development (HUD),

the U.S. Department of

Transportation (DOT), and

the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA).

These three agencies have

pledged to ensure that

housing and transportation

goals are met while simulta

neously protecting the

environment, promoting

equitable development, and

helping to address the

challenges of climate change.

The following Livability Prin

ciples are guiding their work:

 

### Provide more transporta

tion choices.

 

### Promote equitable,

affordable housing.

 

### Enhance economic com

petitiveness.

 

### Support existing commu

nities.

 

### Coordinate and leverage

federal policies and

investment.

 

### Value communities and

neighborhoods. 

# U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

The U.S. Department of Transportation serves the United

States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and

convenient transportation system that meets our national

interests and enhances the quality of life of the American

people, both today and into the future.

DOT will work to promote livable communities and enhance

the economic and social well

‐ being of all Americans by

creating and maintaining a safe, reliable, integrated, and

accessible transportation network. A multimodal

transportation system increases choice, provides easy

access to employment opportunities and other

destinations, and improves the surrounding community. DOT will work to build on

innovative ways of doing business that promote mobility and enhance the unique

characteristics of our neighborhoods, communities, and regions.

Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER): The TIGER

Discretionary Grant Program was included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment

Act to spur a national competition for innovative, multimodal, and multi

‐ jurisdictional

transportation projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits

to an entire metropolitan area, a region, or the nation. In February 2010, DOT selected

51 projects to be funded with the $1.5 billion allocated in the Recovery Act, including

improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit and intermodal facilities. In FY

2010, DOT will be competitively selecting a second round of projects under the TIGER

program. Up to $600 million will be funded, including up to $35 million set aside for

planning projects. The solicitation is expected later in FY 2010.

http://www.dot.gov/recovery/

Transportation and Climate Change Clearinghouse: This is US DOT’s one

‐ stop source

of information on transportation and climate change issues. It includes information on

greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, analytic methods and tools, GHG reduction

strategies, potential impacts of climate change on transportation infrastructure, and

approaches for integrating climate change considerations into transportation decision

making. http://climate.dot.gov/



### Joint Federal Transit and Federal Highway Administration Programs

Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program: This FHWA/FTA comprehensive

program provides training, technical assistance, and support to help decision makers,

(Continued on page 2) DOT Secretary Ray LaHood

Please Note:

The following funding and technical assistance programs are not a complete list of DOT, HUD,

and EPA grant and technical assistance programs. These programs are included here because of

their connection to the principles of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.



### Page 1

## Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs

transportation officials, and staff resolve the increasingly

complex issues they face when addressing transportation

needs in their communities. Resources available through this

program address topics such as land use, scenario planning,

transit

‐ oriented development, non

‐ motorized transportation,

safety, community impact assessments, operations and

management strategies, and analysis methods. This program

is targeted to tribal, regional, state, and local governments;

transit operators; and community leaders. http://

www.planning.dot.gov

Metropolitan & Statewide Planning Formula Grant

Programs: These programs, jointly administered by FTA and FHWA, provide formula funding to support

cooperative, continuous, and comprehensive planning for making transportation investment decisions in

metropolitan areas and statewide. Eligible recipients include state departments of transportation and metropolitan

planning organizations.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/ funding/grants/grant s_financing_3563.html and

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/



### Federal Transit Administration

— http://www.fta.dot.gov/livability

A safe, reliable, integrated, and accessible transportation system supports communities, expands business

opportunities, and improves people’s quality of life while also creating jobs. FTA programs offer different

opportunities for funding transportation planning and projects that can assist your community’s development and

stimulate America’s neighborhoods to become safer, healthier, and more environmentally sustainable. FTA

provides stewardship of combined formula and discretionary programs totaling more than $10 billion to support a

variety of locally planned, constructed, and operated public transportation systems throughout the United States.

Public transportation systems typically include buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, streetcars, monorail,

passenger ferry boats, inclined railways, or people movers.



### Formula Funding Programs for Transit

Urbanized Areas Formula Grant Program: This program makes federal resources available via formula allocation to

transit agencies in urbanized areas over 200,000 in population and to governors for transit capital and operating

assistance in urbanized areas between 50,000 and 200,000 in population. Funding can be used for planning,

engineering design and evaluation of transit projects, and other technical transportation

‐ related studies. Funding

can also be used for capital investments in bus and bus

‐ related activities such as replacement, overhaul, and

rebuilding of buses. For urbanized areas with populations of 200,000 or more, at least one percent of the funding

apportioned to each area must be used for transit enhancement activities such as historic preservation,

landscaping, public art, pedestrian access, bicycle access, and enhanced access for persons with disabilities.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/ funding/grants/grant s_financing_3561.html

Rail and Fixed Guideway Modernization Formula Program: This program provides funding via formula allocation to

transit agencies with a fixed guideway transit system. A “fixed guideway” refers to any transit service that uses

exclusive or controlled rights

‐ of

‐ way or rails, entirely, or in part. The term includes heavy rail, commuter rail, light

rail, monorail, trolleybus, aerial tramway, inclined plane, cable car, automated guideway transit, ferryboats, that

portion of motor bus service operated on exclusive or controlled rights

‐ of

‐ way, and high

‐ occupancy

‐ vehicle (HOV)

lanes. Funds can be used to modernize or improve existing fixed guideway systems.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/ funding/grants/grant s_financing_3558.html



### Page 2

## Federal Transportation Programs, continued

Rural and Small Urban Area Formula Grant Program: This program provides critical transit access to residents in

nonurbanized areas to employment, health, educational, and other important human services and opportunities.

Via formula

‐ based funding to states, this program supports public transportation in areas of less than 50,000 in

population. Funds may be used for capital, operating, and administrative assistance to state agencies, local public

bodies, Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, and operators of public transportation services. The Intercity Bus

program (5311(f)) under this program supports the connection between nonurbanized areas and the larger regional

or national system of intercity bus service. http://www.fta.dot.gov/ funding/grants/grant s_financing_3555.html

Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP): RTAP provides funding to assist in the design and implementation of

training and technical assistance projects and other support services tailored to meet the needs of transit operators

in nonurbanized areas. RTAP has both state and national program components.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/ funding/grants/grant s_financing_3554.html



### Competitive Funding Programs for Transit

Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Grant Program: This program provides capital assistance for new and

replacement buses, related equipment, and facilities, as well as intermodal transit centers. Funding is available to

states for rural and small urban bus and bus facility projects and to transit agencies for projects in urban areas

greater than 200,000 in population. While often earmarked by Congress, this program does have competitive

opportunities to provide funding for the purchase of bus and bus facilities, which are announced in the Federal

Register. http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants/grants_financing_3557.html

New Starts/Small Starts Discretionary Grant Program: These discretionary programs are the federal government’s

primary financial resource (49 U.S.C. 5309) for supporting the planning, development, and construction of major

transit fixed guideway capital projects. New Starts and Small Starts have helped make possible dozens of new or

extended transit fixed guideway systems across the country

– heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, bus rapid transit,

and ferries. New Starts projects are typically greater than $250 million in total project cost, requesting greater than

$75 million in New Starts funding. The Small Starts program supports fixed guideway projects smaller than the New

Starts cost thresholds. Participation in the New Starts and Small Starts programs requires completion of a

legislatively directed process for planning and project development.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/ funding/grants/grant s_financing_3559.html

Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Discretionary Grant Program: Based upon an annual national

competitive selection process, FTA awards Tribal Transit grants directly to federally

‐ recognized Indian tribes.

Recipients of Tribal Transit Program grants may use these funds

for planning, capital and operating assistance for rural public

transit services, and support for rural intercity bus service.

http://www.fta.dot.go v/funding/grants/

grants_financing_3553.html

Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction

(TIGGER) Program: TIGGER grants are awarded to public transit

agencies for the implementation of new strategies for reducing

greenhouse gas emissions or reducing energy usage from their

operations. These strategies can be implemented through

operational or technological enhancements or innovations.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/tigger

Paul S. Sarba nes Transit in the Parks Discretionary Grant Program: This program protects environmentally

(Continued on page 4)



### Page 3

## Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs

sensitive national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and other federal

lands while improving visitor experience through funding for public

transportation and other alternative transportation. Administered by

FTA in partnership with the Department of the Interior and the Forest

Service, the program funds capital and planning expenses for

alternative transportation systems such as shuttle buses and bicycle

trails in national parks and public lands. The goals of the program are to

conserve natural, historical, and cultural resources; reduce congestion

and pollution; improve visitor mobility and accessibility; enhance visitor

experience; and ensure access to all, including persons with disabilities.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/ funding/grants/grant s_financing_6106.html



### Funding Programs for Transit Serving Target Populations

FTA believes that all segments of the population should have safe, reliable access to public transportation. FTA

offers several grant programs tailored to target populations such as the elderly, Americans with disabilities, and low

‐ income workers who face particular challenges with access to critical services. FTA programs provide lifeline

services through a “mobility management” approach to ensure access for all Americans to public transportation.

FTA is also committed to maintaining affordable transportation services for all communities.

Transportation for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities: This program provides formula funding to states

to help private nonprofit groups meet the transportation needs of the elderly and persons with disabilities when

transportation service is unavailable or insufficient. Funds are apportioned based on each state’s share of

population for these groups of people. For persons with mobility limitations related to advanced age, persons with

disabilities, and persons struggling for self

‐ sufficiency, transportation within and between communities needs to be

as available and affordable as possible. http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/gra nts/grants_financing_3556.html

The Job Access and Reverse Commute Program (JARC): JARC provides low

‐ income workers and students with

transportation services to jobs, employment centers, and educational institutions. A recent study of the economic

benefits of employment

‐ related transportation services concluded that transportation funded through the JARC

program provided access to approximately 43.4 million jobs, including 21.2 million low

‐ wage jobs.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/ funding/grants/grant s_financing_3550.html

The New Freedom Formula Grant Program : This program aims to provide additional tools to overcome barriers

that Americans with disabilities face when seeking integration into the work force and full participation in

society. Lack of adequate transportation is a primary barrier to work for individuals with disabilities. The 2000

Census showed that only 60 percent of people between the ages of 16 and 64 with disabilities are employed. The

New Freedom formula grant program seeks to reduce barriers to transportation services and expand the mobility

options available to people with disabilities beyond the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

of 1990. http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/gra nts/grants_financing_3549.html



### Federal Highway Administration

— http://www.fhwa.dot.gov

FHWA has broad responsibility for improving mobility and safety on our nation’s roads and highways through

national leadership, innovation, and program delivery. Although state, local, and tribal governments own most of

the nation’s highways, FHWA provides financial and technical support to these governments for constructing,

improving, and preserving America’s highway system. Its annual budget of more than $30 billion is funded by fuel

and motor vehicle excise taxes. The budget is primarily divided between two programs: Federal

‐ aid funding to state

and local governments; and Federal Lands Highways funding for national parks, national forests, Indian lands, and

other land under federal stewardship.



### Page 4

## Federal Transportation Programs, continued

The Federal

‐ Aid Highway Program provides federal financial resources and

technical assistance to state and local governments for constructing, preserving,

and improving the National Highway System and resources for urban and rural

roads that are not on the National Highway System, but that are eligible for

federal aid. Below are a few of FHWA’s programs that can be used to promote

livable community projects.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program: The goal of this program is to reduce

pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, injuries and crashes and make the Nation’s

roads safer for these vulnerable road users. This is achieved through conducting

research and developing guidelines, tools, and safety countermeasures. In

addition, program members focus on crash data to identify crash hot spots and

determine lower cost measures to improve safety. Part of the effort includes

trying to aggressively reduce pedestrian deaths by focusing extra resources on the

states (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey,

New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas) and cities (Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, New York

City, Washington DC) with the highest pedestrian fatalities and/or fatality rates. http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/

ped_bike/

Recreational Trails Program (RTP): This program provides funds to states to develop and maintain recreational

trails and trail

‐ related facilities for both non

‐ motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. Federal transportation

funds benefit recreation, including hiking, bicycling, in

‐ line skating, equestrian use, cross

‐ country skiing,

snowmobiling, off

‐ road motorcycling, all

‐ terrain vehicle riding, four

‐ wheel driving, or other off

‐ road motorized

vehicles. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/

Transportation Enhancement (TE) Program: TE activities offer opportunities to help expand transportation choices

and enhance the transportation experience through activities related to surface transportation, including

pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and safety programs, scenic and historic highway programs, landscaping and

scenic beautification, historic preservation, and environmental mitigation. TE projects must relate to surface

transportation and must qualify under one or more of the eligible categories.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/te

Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS ): While not a funding program, CSS is a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach

that involves all stakeholders in developing a transportation facility that fits its physical setting and preserves

scenic, aesthetic, historic, and environmental resources while maintaining safety and mobility. CSS considers the

total context within which a transportation improvement project will exist. CSS principles include the employment

of early, continuous, and meaningful involvement of the public and all stakeholders throughout the project

development process. The project is designed and built with minimal disruption to the community.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/context/

National Scenic Byways Program: Grants and technical assistance are provided to states and Indian tribes to

implement projects on highways designated as National Scenic Byways, All

‐ American Roads, America's Byways, and

state scenic or Indian tribe scenic byways and to plan, design, and develop a state or Indian tribe scenic byway

program. Funds shall be available for an activity related to the planning, design, or development of a state or Indian

tribe scenic byway program; development and implementation of a byway corridor management plan; safety

improvements to accommodate increased traffic; improvements that enhance access; protection of resources

adjacent to the byway; development and implementation of a marketing program; development and provision of

tourist infrastructure; and construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, interpretive facilities, overlooks, and

other enhancements for byway travelers. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/HEP/byways/index.htm

(Continued on page 6)



### Page 5

## Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs

Safe Routes to School Program: For infrastructure

‐ related projects, eligible

activities are the planning, design, and construction of projects that will

substantially improve the ability of students to walk and bike to school. These

include sidewalk improvements, traffic calming and speed reduction

improvements, pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements, on

‐ street

bicycle facilities, off

‐ street bicycle and pedestrian facilities, secure bike parking,

and traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of schools (within

approximately two miles). Such projects may be carried out on any public road

or any bicycle or pedestrian pathway or trail in the vicinity of schools.

Each state must set aside from its Safe Routes to School apportionment not

less than 10 percent and not more than 30 percent of the funds for non

‐

infrastructure

‐ related activities to encourage walking and bicycling to school.

These include public awareness campaigns and outreach to press and

community leaders; traffic education and enforcement in the vicinity of

schools; student sessions on bicycle and pedestrian safety, health, and environment; and training of volunteers and

managers of Safe Routes to School programs. http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/

Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program (TCSP): These discretionary funds, usually earmarked

by Congress, may be used to carry out eligible projects to integrate transportation, community, and system

preservation plans and practices that improve the efficiency of the transportation system of the United States; reduce

the impacts of transportation on the environment; reduce the need for costly future investments in public

infrastructure; provide efficient access to jobs, services, and centers of trade; examine community development

patterns; and identify strategies to encourage private

‐ sector development. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tcsp/

Towns and cities should contact the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for their area for prospective projects.

A list of MPOs can be found at http://www.ampo.org/directory/index.php

. For additional information, towns and

cities can contact their state department of transportation.



### Flexible Programs Under the Federal Highway Administration

Many Federal

‐ Aid Highway programs have specific eligible transit activities identified in legislation. In addition, funds

from other programs that do not have specific transit eligibility may be transferred by states to other Federal

‐ Aid

Highway programs that do have such eligibility. If funds are transferred from one Federal

‐ Aid Highway program to

another, those funds then have the same eligibility as the program that they are transferred to. For example,

Interstate Maintenance (IM) funds transferred to the Surface Transportation Program (STP) would have the same

eligibility as STP funds.

To transfer funds from FHWA to FTA, the state department of transportation must request that the funds be

transferred, with the concurrence of the MPO if the project is within a metropolitan planning area, in a letter to the

FHWA Division Office. Funding transfers are permitted only for projects contained in an approved metropolitan

transportation improvement program (TIP) and/or statewide transportation improvement program (STIP).

http://www.fta.dot.gov/ funding/grants/grant s_financing_3545.html

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program: The CMAQ program supports transportation projects or

programs that will improve air quality and relieve congestion in areas that do not meet National Ambient Air Quality

Standards



### . Reducing pollution and other adverse environmental effects of transportation projects and transportation

system inefficiency have been long

‐ standing DOT objectives. CMAQ funds may be used to establish new or expanded

transportation projects or programs that reduce emissions, including capital investments in transportation



### Page 6

## Federal Housing and Urban Development Programs

infrastructure, congestion relief efforts, and diesel engine retrofits. Other CMAQ projects include operating assistance

for new transit services, travel demand management strategies, traffic flow improvement programs that reduce

emissions, and bicycle/pedestrian facilities and programs. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cmaqpgs/

Surface Transportation Program: The Surface Transportation Program provides flexible funding that may be used by

states and localities for projects on any federal

‐ aid highway, including the National Highway System, bridge projects

on any public road, transit capital projects, and intracity and intercity bus terminals and facilities. It can be used for a

broad array of highway purposes and flexibly used for major transit purposes as well. A few examples include buying

buses or rail vehicles or constructing fixed guideway systems like light rail or heavy rail.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/saf etealu/factsheets/stp.htm

National Highway System (NHS) Program : The NHS Program provides flexible funding that may be used by states and

localities for projects to make improvements to rural and urban roads that are part of the NHS, including the



# U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s mission is to increase

homeownership, support community development, and increase access to affordable

housing free from discrimination

HUD promotes sustainable communities by coordinating federal housing and

transportation investments with local land use decisions in order to reduce transpor

‐

tation costs for families, improve housing affordability, save energy, and increase

access to housing and employment opportunities. By ensuring that housing is located

near job centers and affordable, accessible transportation, we will nurture healthier,

more inclusive communities—which provide opportunities for people of all ages,

incomes, races, and ethnicities to live, work, and learn together.



### Sustainable Communities

— http://www.hud.gov/sustainability

HUD’s 2010 appropriations include $150 million for a Sustainable Communities Initiative to improve regional planning

efforts that integrate housing and transportation decisions and increase the capacity to improve land use and zoning,

and $50 million for an Energy Innovation Fund to enable the Federal Housing Administration and the Office of

Sustainable Housing and Communities to catalyze innovations in the residential energy efficiency sector that have

promise of replicability and help create a standardized home energy efficient retrofit market. These funds will be

allocated as follows:



### Sustainable Communities Initiative

 $100 million for Regional Integrated Planning Grants to support linking integrated housing, transportation,

economic development and other land use planning.

 $40 million for Community Challenge Grants to foster reform and reduce barriers to achieve affordable,

economically vital, and sustainable communities.

 $10 million for joint HUD/DOT research efforts that shall include a rigorous evaluation of the Regional Integrated

Planning Grants and Community Challenge Grants Programs.



### Energy Innovation Fund

 $25 million for an Energy Efficient Mortgage Innovation pilot program directed at the single family housing

market.

 $25 million for a Multifamily Energy Pilot directed at the multifamily housing market.

(Continued on page 8)



### Page 7

## Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs

Public and Indian Housing

HOPE VI: The Hope VI Program provides competitive funding for the

elimination or reclamation of severely distressed public housing

developments. Funds can be used for demolition, major rehabilita

‐

tion, and new construction of public housing; acquisition of sites in

other locations for private new construction and supportive services

for those relocated by the program. The HOPE VI program promotes

the creation of mixed

‐ income communities that are pedestrian

‐ friendly, and transit

‐ accessible. It also encourages high standards of

green building for new construction projects through regulation and

the prioritization of proposals with green features.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/index.cfm

Public Housing: The Public Housing Program provides funding to local housing agencies for operating expenses and

repairs to public housing developments. Funds are allocated based on the continuing needs of the authorities,

especially the number of units they own. Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) are encouraged to use environmentally

responsible practices through regulations, guidance, and incentive programs like Energy Performance Contracting

(EPC). The EPC program provides funding to make public housing units more resource efficient through the imple

‐

mentation of energy and water conservation measures and the installation of renewable energy systems. By freezing

utility subsidies for the length of an EPC contract, PHAs are able to utilize the monetary savings that result from

resource

‐ efficiency improvements to repay the upfront costs of those improvements. Historically, the EPC program

has generated over $2 in savings for every $1 in investment.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph

Housing Choice and Project

‐ Based Vouchers: Housing Choice and Project

‐ Based Voucher Programs provide funding

to local public housing agencies for rental subsidies for units that are chosen by the tenant in the private market

(Housing Choice Vouchers) or for use in specific developments or units (Project

‐ Based Vouchers). Housing Choice

Vouchers allow tenants more flexibility in deciding the location of their residence, giving them more of an opportunity

to live closer to work, family, amenities, or services. http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/about/index.cfm



### Community Planning and Development

Community Development Block Grants (CDBG): The CDBG Program provides formula funding directly to larger cities

and counties and through state governments for small units of local government. Funds can be used for most kinds of

development as long as it meets one of the following national objectives: 1) benefits low

‐ and moderate

‐ income

persons; 2) aids in the prevention or elimination of slum and blight; or 3) meets certain community development

needs having a particular urgency. CDBG is a flexible program that provides resources to address a wide range of

community and economic development needs, including decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expanded

economic opportunity. http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs

Section 108 is the loan guarantee provision of the CDBG program that provides public entities loan funds for

businesses or other entities to carry out approved economic development, housing, and public facility projects. The

public entity may carry out eligible projects itself.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/co mmunitydevelopment/programs/108/

Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI): BEDI is a competitive program used to spur the return of

brownfields to productive economic reuse. BEDI grants must be used in conjunction with a new Section 108 loan.

Both Section 108 loan proceeds and BEDI grant funds are initially made available by HUD to public entities approved

for assistance. http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/economic development/programs/bedi/index.cfm



### Page 8

## Federal Housing and Urban Development Programs, continued

HOME Investment Partnership: The HOME Program provides formula funding directly to larger cities and counties, to

consortia of local governments, and to state governments. The HOME program is designed to create affordable

housing for low

‐ income households and can take the form of direct assistance or loan guarantees. Funds can be used

for most kinds of housing development, including acquisition and rehabilitation in the creation of low

‐ income

housing. Additionally HOME program funds can be used for homebuyer assistance and for Tenant

‐ Based Rental

Assistance. http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/af fordablehousing/programs/home

Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS: HOPWA provides formula funding and competitively

‐ awarded grants

to states, cities, and nonprofit organizations. Funds can be used to develop and support housing for people with AIDS

and may be used for certain supportive services. http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/aidshousing/index.cfm

Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP): NSP comprised two one

‐ time only grants, in 2008 and 2009, to states,

local governments, and selected non

‐ profit organizations to help communities address their serious housing

foreclosure problems. Funds are being used to acquire and rehabilitate abandoned or foreclosed housing in

distressed neighborhoods.

http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/REC OVERY/programs/NEIGHBORHOOD_STABILIZATION

Homeless Programs: Homeless Programs provide formula and competitive funding to state and local governments

and private nonprofit organizations. Competitive funds are awarded in

connection with the Continuum of Care planning group, a community

‐

wide group that plans for and provides services to homeless people.

Funds can be used for services and for development of emergency

shelters and transitional and permanent housing to serve the

homeless.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/index.cfm

Rural Innovation Fund: HUD’s FY 2010 appropriations include $25

million for a new Rural Innovation Fund to address the problems of

concentrated rural housing distress and community poverty.



### Housing Programs and FHA Mortgage Insurance Resources

Supportive Housing for the Elderly (Section 202) and Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities (Section 811):

These programs provide competitive funding to nonprofit agencies developing housing for the elderly and persons

with disabilities. Funds consist of capital grants to assist in the original construction and annual project rental

assistance to support operating and maintenance costs to ensure that rents remain affordable to very low

‐ income

people.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hs g/mfh/progdesc /eld202.cfm

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hs g/mfh/progdesc/disab811.cfm

Mortgage Insurance for Rental Housing: Several FHA mortgage insurance programs can be used to facilitate the new

construction and substantial rehabilitation of multifamily rental projects. Some FHA programs can be used to

refinance and acquire existing multifamily projects not requiring substantial rehabilitation. These programs include:

 Mortgage insurance pursuant to Section 220 may be used to insure loans for multifamily housing projects in

designated urban renewal areas, code enforcement areas, and other areas that local governments have

designated for revitalization. http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mf h/progdesc/renturbanhsg220.cfm

(Continued on page 10)



### Page 9

## Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs

 Mortgage insurance pursuant to Section 221(d)(4) and Section 221(d)(3) may be used to insure mortgages used

to construct or substantially rehabilitate multifamily rental housing. The former program may be used by for

‐ profit sponsors and the latter by nonprofit sponsors.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/progdesc/rentcoophsg221d3n4.cfm

 Mortgage insurance pursuant to Section 207/223(f) may be used to insure mortgages made for the purpose of

acquiring or refinancing existing multifamily rental housing. Projects requiring substantial rehabilitation are not

eligible for the program. http://www.hud.gov/o ffices/hsg/mfh/progde sc/purchrefi223f.cfm

 Eligible owners and purchasers utilizing the above programs apply for the FHA insurance through HUD

‐ approved

lenders. The programs have differing maximum mortgage limitations and requirements.

Mortgage Insurance for Condominium Units: FHA also insures mortgages on condominium units in developments

that are proposed or under construction, existing projects, or conversions. Generally, approval of the condominium

project must be obtained from an authorized lender.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hu dclips/letters/mortgagee/files/09

‐ 46aml.pdf

http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hu dclips/letters/mortgagee/files/09

‐ 46bml.pdf

Housing Finance Agency Risk Sharing Program: Under this program, HUD provides credit enhancement on loans

underwritten and closed by a state or local housing finance agency (HFA). Loans made pursuant to Section 542(c) are

for affordable housing which includes new construction, substantial rehabilitation, elderly housing, and refinancing.

Eligible owners and purchasers apply for the program through the appropriate HFA.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/ mfh/progdesc/riskshare542b.cfm



# U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mission is to protect human health and the

environment. Where and how we build communities has a major impact on the

environment and on public health. By promoting more environmentally, economically,

and socially sustainable communities, EPA can help protect our nation’s air, water, land,

and people. A clean, green, healthy community is a better place to buy a home and

raise a family, it’s an appealing place for businesses to locate, and it has the founda

‐

tions it needs for prosperity. Many EPA programs are aimed at helping tribal, state, and

local governments support activities that build more sustainable communities and

protect human health and the environment.

In addition to the resources listed here, EPA programs offer many tools on a variety of

topics that communities may find useful.

http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership/tools.html



### Brownfields Remediation and Redevelopment

EPA has a variety of programs to help eligible entities assess, remediate, and restore brownfields sites to productive

use and revitalize affected neighborhoods. http://www.epa.gov/brownfields

Assessment Grant Program : These grants provide funding to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning

and community involvement related to brownfield sites. Grants are for up to $200,000 to address sites contaminated

by hazardous substances, and up to $200,000 to address sites contaminated by petroleum. Applicants can also apply

as an Assessment Coalition (a group of three or more eligible entities) for up to $1 million.

http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/assessment_grants.htm EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson



### Page 10

## Federal Environmental Protection Programs, continued

Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program : These grants of up to $1 million

provide funding to capitalize a revolving loan fund. Revolving loan funds can be

used to provide no

‐ interest or low

‐ interest loans and subgrants to eligible

entities who own the site to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. RLF

grants require a 20 percent cost share.

http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/rlflst.htm

Cleanup Grant Program: These grants provide funding for a recipient to carry

out cleanup activities at brownfields sites that it owns. Sites may be contami

‐

nated by hazardous substances and/or petroleum. Grants are up to $200,000

per site and require a 20 percent cost share.

http://www.epa.gov/brownf ields/cleanup_grants.htm

Brownfields Job Training Grant Program: These grants provide funding to

eligible entities and nonprofit organizations to help communities take advan

‐

tage of jobs created by the assessment and cleanup of brownfields. The Job

Training Grant Program’s goals are to prepare trainees for future employment in

the environmental field and to facilitate cleanup of brownfield sites contaminated with hazardous substances. Grants

are for up to $200,000. http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/job.htm

Targeted Brownfields Assessments: These assessments are conducted by an EPA contractor, and services can include

site assessments, cleanup options and cost estimates, and community outreach. Sites for this program are selected by

EPA regional offices. Services can range from several thousand dollars to as much as $100,000.

http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/grant_info/tba.htm

Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Program: TAB services are provided to communities, regional entities, and

nonprofits who need technical assistance dealing with brownfield sites. The program can also assist communities with

applying for EPA brownfields grants or identifying other resources to address their brownfield sites.

http://epa.gov/brownfields/tools/tab_bifold.pdf



### Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color,

national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental

laws, regulations, and policies. EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across the nation. It will be achieved

when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the

decision

‐ making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

http://www.epa.gov/en vironmentaljustice/

Environmental Justice Small Grants Program: This program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations to

build collaborative partnerships, to identify the local environmental and/or public health issues, and to envision

solutions and empower the community through education, training, and outreach.

http://www.epa.gov/enviro nmentaljustice/grants/ej

‐ smgrants.html

Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem

‐ Solving Cooperative Agreement Program: This program provides

financial assistance to eligible organizations working on or planning to work on projects to address local environ

‐

mental and/or public health issues in their communities, using EPA's "Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem

‐ Solving Model." http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej

‐ cps

‐ grants.html

(Continued on page 12)



### Page 11

## Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs

State Environmental Justice Cooperative Agreements Program: This program provides funding so that eligible

entities may work collaboratively with affected communities to understand, promote, and integrate approaches to

provide meaningful and measurable improvements to the public health and/or environment in the communities.

http://www.epa.gov/enviro nmentaljustice/grants/ej

‐ sejca

‐ grants.html

Environmental Justice Showcase Communities Project: This project provides EPA regional office funding to bring

together governmental and non

‐ governmental organizations to pool their resources and expertise on the best ways

to achieve real results in communities. The successes and lessons learned in these demonstration projects will be

used to help guide the design and implementation of future environmental justice projects and will help EPA

increase its ability to address local environmental challenges in more effective, efficient, and sustainable ways.

http://www.epa.gov/enviro nmentaljustice/grants/ej

‐ showcase.html



### Toxic Pollution Reduction

Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE): CARE is a competitive grant program that offers an

innovative way for a community to organize and take action to reduce toxic pollution in its local environ

‐

ment. Through CARE, a community creates a partnership that implements solutions to reduce releases of toxic

pollutants and minimize people's exposure to them. By providing financial and technical assistance, EPA helps CARE

communities get on the path to a renewed environment. http://www.epa.gov/care/

Lead Grants: EPA awards grants aimed at reducing childhood lead

poisoning in communities with older housing through the National

Community

‐ Based Lead Grant and the Targeted Lead Grant

Programs. The projects supported by these grant funds are an

important part of EPA’s lead program to eliminate childhood lead

poisoning as a major public health concern.

http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/grantmap.htm



### Energy Conservation and Renewable and Clean Energy

Energy Efficiency at the State and Local Levels: The State and Local

Climate and Energy Program provides technical assistance,

analytical tools, and outreach support to state, local, and tribal

governments. Specific assistance includes identifying and documenting cost

‐ effective policies and initiatives;

measuring and evaluating the benefits of clean energy initiatives; offering tools, guidance, and outreach support;

and fostering peer exchange opportunities. The program’s web site provides state and local governments with

information on energy efficiency and clean energy, including webcasts on a variety of topics.

http://epa.gov/statelocalclimate

National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC): NCDC offers a comprehensive program to help fleet owners clean up their

diesel fleets. The campaign awards competitive grants through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act to public

agencies, eligible nonprofits, and private entities, such as school bus contractors, who partner with eligible entities.

NCDC’s rigorous verification program evaluates the performance and durability of retrofit technologies and provides

a path to verification for emerging technologies. The campaign’s innovative programs, such as Clean School Bus USA,

Clean Ports USA, and Clean Construction USA, provide sector

‐ specific information, including case studies, technology

options, and publications. NCDC’s tools and resources include the web

‐ based Diesel Emissions Quantifier to help

evaluate the cost

‐ effectiveness of various retrofit options and the State and Local Toolkit to help design, fund, and

evaluate emission

‐ reduction programs. In addition, NCDC supports regional private

‐ public collaboratives whose

members coordinate to implement a wide array of activities to reduce diesel emissions.

http://epa.gov/cleandiesel/



### Page 12

## Federal Environmental Protection Programs, continued

SmartWay Transport Partnership: Under SmartWay, EPA provides web

‐ based analytical tools, technical assistance,

innovative financing options, air quality planning guidance, product and vehicle verification and certification, and

recognition incentives to help states and municipalities support cleaner goods movement in their communities.

SmartWay partners learn how to shrink their carbon footprints and reduce emissions of air pollutants while saving

fuel and expanding their businesses. SmartWay’s innovative financial options can help trucking firms, municipal fleet

managers, and owner

‐ operators serving communities across the country overcome financial obstacles to cleaner, fuel

‐ saving vehicle retrofits and upgrades. Cities can partner with EPA regional offices to recruit city

‐ based freight

shippers and carriers into the program, organize events or pilot tools/resources for the local business community, use

locomotive and truck idle

‐ reduction strategies to achieve clean air goals, and let businesses and consumers know

about lower

‐ polluting, fuel

‐ saving, SmartWay

‐ designated passenger vehicles and commercial trucks.

http://www.epa.gov/smartway



### Smart Growth

EPA’s Smart Growth Program offers case studies, research, tools, and

publications to help communities learn about and implement smart

growth solutions to a wide range of development

‐ related challenges,

including transportation and parking, affordable housing, stormwater

runoff, zoning codes, infill and redevelopment, and many other issues.

http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/

Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) Program : Through

the SGIA program, EPA solicits applications from state, local, regional,

and tribal governments (and non

‐ profits that have partnered with a governmental entity) that want to incorporate

smart growth techniques into their future development. Once selected, communities receive direct technical

assistance from a team of national experts in one of two areas: policy analysis (e.g., zoning codes, school siting

guidelines, transportation policies) or public participatory processes (e.g., visioning, design workshops, alternatives

analysis). EPA tailors the assistance to the community's unique situation and priorities and provides the contractor

team. This is not a grant. Through a site visit and a report, the multidisciplinary teams help the community achieve its

goal of encouraging growth that fosters economic progress and environmental protection. The SGIA Request for

Applications is usually open in the first quarter of the year. http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm

Funding Resources: The Smart Growth Program occasionally offers competitive grants. It has also compiled lists of

federal, regional, and state resources for communities and non

‐ governmental organizations that are seeking funding

to address various aspects of smart growth. http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/grants/index.htm



### Water Quality

In urban and suburban areas, much of the land surface is covered by buildings, pavement, and compacted landscapes

that do not allow rain and snowmelt to soak into the ground, which greatly increases the volume and velocity of

stormwater runoff. Upgrading water infrastructure and using green infrastructure techniques can help improve

stormwater management to better protect our nation's drinking water and lakes, rivers, streams, and other water

bodies. http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/urban.html

State Revolving Loan Funds: The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund

(DWSRF) Programs are federal/state partnerships designed to finance the cost of infrastructure needed to achieve

compliance with the Clean Water Act. Through the SRFs, states maintain revolving loan funds to provide low

‐ cost

financing for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects, such as traditional municipal wastewater treat

‐

ment and collection systems, nonpoint source program implementation projects, wetlands restoration, groundwater

protection, innovative stormwater runoff and estuary management projects, drinking water treatment and convey

‐

ance systems, and source water protection. Funds to establish or capitalize the SRF programs are provided through

(Continued on page 14)



### Page 13

## Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs

EPA grants to the states, along with state matching funds (equal to 20 percent

of federal government grants). Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment

Act stimulus funding, in FY 2010, 20 percent of the federal funds must be

targeted to green infrastructure, water

‐ efficiency improvements, energy

‐ efficiency improvement, and environmentally innovative approaches to water

quality improvement.

http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/ and

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/

Green Infrastructure: Green infrastructure is an approach to wet weather

management that is cost effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

Green infrastructure management approaches and technologies infiltrate,

evapotranspire, capture, and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural

hydrology. Many of these approaches, including green roofs, rain gardens,

green streets, and other innovative stormwater management techniques, can

also make neighborhoods safer, healthier, and more attractive. EPA has

compiled a list of funding resources to help communities fund green infrastruc

‐

ture projects.

http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfr astructure/fundingopportunities.cfm

Asset Management: As communities undertake the task of renewing their water infrastructure systems, EPA can

offer a suite of practices and approaches to ensure that water infrastructure both supports sustainable communities

and can be supported by the communities it serves. One of the keys to sustainable infrastructure is the practice of

Asset Management (AM), which provides a platform for making the best, most effective infrastructure investments.

EPA offers AM training and a suite of tools to promote adoption and improvement of AM implementation. Multisec

‐

tor AM integrates investments in water, transportation, and housing infrastructure and is being promoted through a

Memorandum of Understanding between EPA and DOT.

http://www.epa.gov/owm/assetmanage/

Nonpoint Source Management Grants: Under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, states receive grant money to

support a wide variety of activities to reduce nonpoint source pollution, including techniques related to agriculture,

urban runoff, forestry, and the physical modification of water bodies. States directly implement projects as well as

provide funds to organizations and local governments to carry out projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution

through best management practices, outreach and education, and demonstration of new approaches to improve

water quality. These grant monies may not be used to fund activities currently required in a stormwater permit

issued under the authority of the Clean Water Act. Each state publishes an annual request for proposals.

http://www.epa.gov/nps/cwact.html

Photo Credits:

Page 1—U.S. Department of Transportation Page 9— U.S. Department of Transportation

Page 2—Federal Transit Administration Page 10—U.S. Environment al P

Page 3—National Park Service Page 11—U.S. Environment al P

Page 4—Federal Transit Administration Page 12—U.S. Environment al P

Page 5—Planning Raleigh 2030 Page 13—U.S. Environment al P

Page 6—Gateway 1 Corri dor Action Plan, Maine Page 14—U.S. Environment al P rotection Agency

rotection Agency

rotection Agency

rotection Agency

rotection Agency

Page 7—U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development  Page 16—U.S. Department of Transportation

Page 8—Planning Raleigh 2030



### Page 14

## For More Information: Regional Points of Contact

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:

FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION

Region 1 (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) Kendall Square, 55

Broadway, Suite 920, Cambridge, MA 02142

‐ 1093, Tel: 617

‐ 494

‐ 2055

Region 2 (NJ, NY) One Bowling Green, Room 429, New

York, NY 10004

‐ 1415, Tel: 212

‐ 668

‐ 2170

Region 3 (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV) 1760 Market Street,

Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA 19103

‐ 4124, Tel: 215

‐ 656

‐ 7100

Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI) 230

Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 800, Atlanta, GA 30303, Tel:

404

‐ 865

‐ 5600

Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) 200 West Adams Street,

Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60606, Tel: 312

‐ 353

‐ 2789 Region 6 (AR, LA, OK, NM, TX) 819 Taylor Street, Room

8A36, Ft. Worth, TX 76102, Tel: 817

‐ 978

‐ 0550

Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE) 901 Locust Street, Room 404,

Kansas City, MO 64106, Tel: 816

‐ 329

‐ 3920

Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY) 1 2300 West Dakota

Avenue, Suite 310, Lakewood, CO 80228

‐ 2583, Tel: 720

‐ 963

‐

3300

Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, American Samoa, Guam, North

‐

ern Mariana Islands ) 201 Mission Street, Room 1650, San

Francisco, CA 94105

‐ 1926, Tel: 415

‐ 744

‐ 3133

Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA) Jackson Federal Building, 915

Second Avenue, Suite 3142, Seattle, WA 98174

‐ 1002, Tel:

206

‐ 220

‐ 7954



## U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

The Federal Highway Administration field offices are organized by state. For efforts related to the Partnership for

Sustainable Communities, specific FHWA Division Offices have assumed leadership roles for facilitating and organizing

efforts within the DOT/HUD/EPA regions. Below is their contact information.

Region 1 (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

‐ Massachusetts Division: Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)

‐ Illinois Division: 3250

55 Broadway, 10th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, Tel: 617

‐ Executive Park Drive, Springfield, IL 62703, Tel: 217

‐ 492

‐

494

‐ 2419 4642

Region 2 (NJ, NY)

‐ New York Division: Leo O'Brien Federal Region 6 (AR, LA, OK, NM, TX)

‐ Texas Division: Federal Of

‐ Building, Clinton Avenue & North Pearl Street, Room 719, fice Building, 300 East 8th Street, Austin, TX 78701, Tel: 512

‐ Albany, NY 12207, Tel: 518

‐ 431

‐ 4125 536

‐ 5952

Region 3 (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV)

‐ Pennsylvania Division: Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE)

‐ Missouri Division: 3220 West

228 Walnut Street, Room 536, Harrisburg, PA 17101

‐ 1720, Edgewood, Suite H, Jefferson City, MO 65109, Tel: 573

‐ 638

‐

Tel: 717

‐ 221

‐ 3703 2620

Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI)

‐ Georgia Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)

‐ Colorado Division:

Division: 61 Forsyth Street SW, Suite 17T100, Atlanta, GA 12300 W. Dakota Avenue, Suite 180, Lakewood, CO 80228,

30303, Tel: 404

‐ 562

‐ 3659 Tel: 720

‐ 963

‐ 3016

Also, FHWA’s Resource Center staff are available for assistance:

 Atlanta, Georgia: 61 Forsyth Street, Suite 17T26, Atlanta, GA 30303, Tel: 404

‐ 562

‐ 3667

 Lakewood, Colorado: 12300 W. Dakota Avenue, Suite 340, Lakewood, CO 80228, Tel: 720

‐ 963

‐ 3072

 San Francisco, California: 201 Mission Street, Suite 1700, San Francisco, CA 94105, Tel: 415

‐ 744

‐ 2628



### Page 15

## For More Information: Regional Points of Contact, continued



# U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Region 1 (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) 10 Causeway Street,

Room 301, Boston, MA 02222

‐ 1092, Tel: 617

‐ 994

‐ 8200

Region 2 (NJ, NY) 26 Federal Plaza, Suite 3541, New York,

NY 10278

‐ 0068, Tel: 212

‐ 264

‐ 8000

Region 3 (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV) 100 Penn Square East,

Philadelphia, PA 19107

‐ 3380, Tel: 215

‐ 656

‐ 0500

Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI) 40 Mari

‐

etta Street, Atlanta, GA 30303

‐ 2806, Tel: 404

‐ 331

‐ 5001

Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) 77 West Jackson Boule

‐

vard, Chicago, IL 60604

‐ 3507, Tel: 312

‐ 353

‐ 5680 Region 6 (AR, LA, OK, NM, TX) 801 Cherry Street, Unit #45,

Suite 2500, Ft. Worth, TX 76102, Tel: 817

‐ 978

‐ 5965

Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE) 400 State Avenue, Room 507,

Kansas City, KS 66101

‐ 2406, Tel: 913

‐ 551

‐ 5462

Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY) 1670 Broadway, 25th

Floor, Denver, CO 80202, Tel: 303

‐ 672

‐ 5440

Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, American Samoa, Guam, North

‐

ern Mariana Islands ) 600 Harrison Street, 3rd Floor, San

Francisco, CA 94107

‐ 1300, Tel: 415

‐ 489

‐ 6400

Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA) 909 First Avenue Suite 200, Se

‐

attle, WA 98104

‐ 1000, Tel: 206

‐ 220

‐ 5101



# U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Region 1 (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) 5 Post Office Square,

Suite 100, Boston, MA 02109

‐ 3912, Tel: 617

‐ 918

‐ 1111

Region 2 (NJ, NY, PR, VI) 290 Broadway, New York, NY

10007

‐ 1866, Tel: 212

‐ 637

‐ 3000

Region 3 (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV) 1650 Arch Street,

Philadelphia, PA 19103

‐ 2029, Tel: 215

‐ 814

‐ 5000

Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN) Atlanta Federal

Center, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

‐ 3104, Tel:

404

‐ 562

‐ 9900

Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) 77 West Jackson Boule

‐

vard, Chicago, IL 60604

‐ 3507, Tel: 312

‐ 353

‐ 2000 Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX) Fountain Place, 12th Floor,

Suite 1200, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, TX 75202

‐ 2733, Tel:

214

‐ 665

‐ 2200

Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE) 901 North 5th Street, Kansas City,

KS 66101, Tel: 913

‐ 551

‐ 7003

Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY) 1595 Wynkoop Street,

Denver, CO 80202

‐ 1129, Tel: 303

‐ 312

‐ 6312

Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, Pacific Islands) 75 Hawthorne

Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, Tel: 415

‐ 947

‐ 8000

Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA) 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900,

Seattle, WA 98101, Tel: 206

‐ 553

‐ 1200



### Page 16