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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 that connect housing, employment, and 

economic development with transportation and other infrastructure 

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

Grants to help support local planning designed to integrate affordable 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 assistance to seven communities through the 

Smart Growth Implementation Assistance 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 that it is awarding $4 million in 

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assistance 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 Planning Grants to support more livable 

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

receive funding through a new initiative intended 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 recipients 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 development, 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 American 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 strengthen 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 HUD; Beth Osborne, Deputy Secretary for 

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

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

more affordable homes near transit stations to improving stormwater management. 

Video of the hour-long chat is available here. 

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

Partnership for Sustainable Communities on the White House blog. 

HUD launched a $100 million Sustainable 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 

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Economic 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 development. Many projects may include 

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

through two separate grant application procedures, 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, Collaborative 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 announced $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) 

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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 lower transportation costs while protecting the 

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

partnership agreement that will guide the agencies' 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 

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PDF). 

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 Committee 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) 

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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 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 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. 

Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment. Align federal policies 

and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, 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. 

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Partnership Agreement 

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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 environmental 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 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. 

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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)

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Smart Growth Home | Site Map

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http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership/index.html 12/1/2010
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 economic, 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 consumers 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 enthusiastically planning for them based on their 

own local resources, landscape, culture, and 

ingenuity. The Partnership for Sustainable 

Communities, one of the Obama Administration’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 communities 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 landscapes 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 preferences and development patterns. The two 

largest demographic segments—millennials, 

who are entering the workforce, and baby 

boomers, who are leaving it—are most interested in walkable neighborhoods that offer 

a variety of housing choices, convenient 

transportation options, shopping, restaurants, parks, and cultural amenities.

Sustainable Communities:

 A Response to Today’s Challenges
2 Progress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

On June 16, 2009, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Housing 

and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, and 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator 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 government 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 Livability 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 policies to support communities that want to give 

A New Federal Approach

1 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.

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 reliable 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 accountability 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 communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods—rural, urban, or suburban.

HUD–DOT–EPA PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

GUIDING LIVABILITY PRINCIPLES
 PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES  Progress for American Communities 3

Americans more housing choices, make transportation systems more efficient and reliable, 

reinforce existing investments, and support 

vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract 

businesses. Each agency is working to incorporate the principles into its funding programs, 

policies, and future legislative proposals.

The Partnership breaks down the traditional 

silos of housing, transportation, and environmental 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 transportation choices—it also uses taxpayer money more 

efficiently. Coordinating federal investments in 

infrastructure, facilities, and services meets multiple economic, environmental, and community 

objectives with each dollar spent. For example, 

investing in public transit can lower transportation 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 collaboration. Together or individually, HUD, DOT, 

and EPA are also working with the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, 

the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and 

Human Services, the Economic Development 

Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Endowment for the Arts, the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 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

“ ”
4 Progress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Transportation Investment Generating 

Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants

In February 2010, as part of the American 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 opportunities, 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 communities 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 million in HUD Community Challenge Planning 

Grants to support local planning activities that 

integrate transportation, housing, and economic 

development. To make it easier for communities to apply to both programs, DOT and HUD 

accepted a single application for both opportunities 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 Communities Regional Planning Grant program. This 

program will support metropolitan and multijurisdictional 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 interdependent challenges of economic competitiveness 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 Partnership 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 public. The agency leaders visited several projects that exemplify 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.
6 Progress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

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 Americans 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 connect 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 public 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 guidance explicitly recommends that states make funding 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 assistance to three to five communities selected each 

year through a competition. Over the last five 

years, this program has worked with urban, suburban, 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 protecting environmental resources. Reports from these 

projects often provide new tools for other communities 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 communities 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, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate 

innovative green building and green infrastructure. EPA will fund a team of designers 

to visit each city and work with residents and 

local leaders to produce designs for a demonstration 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 discretionary 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 incorporate 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 interactive 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 incredibly challenging environmental, human 

health, and social issues. The Partnership 

for Sustainable Communities is supporting local and regional efforts to improve 

quality of life in the valley. A focus of this 

pilot project is increasing transit for better 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 cleaning 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 development, 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, California 
8 Progress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

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 government 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 communities’ development patterns for decades, the 

three Partnership agencies worked with the General Services Administration and consulted with 

the Department of Defense and the Department of 

Homeland Security to develop siting recommendations 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. Redeveloping sites like these can revitalize entire neighborhoods, 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, California—where there is a convergence of multiple 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 economically 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 policies unintentionally erected barriers to smart, sustainable development. The Partnership agencies 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 redevelopment 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 housing, 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 disadvantaged communities. Recipients will be 

announced in fall of 2010.

The Fairmount Commuter Rail Line in Boston passes through three low-income neighborhoods—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 neighborhoods. 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 affordable 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 Collaborative
10 Progress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

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 investments 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 designated area around a transit stop.

Reducing Contracting Conflicts

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) worked with HUD to 

resolve a contracting conflict that 

had the potential to hold up projects. 

FHWA will use Special Experimental 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 coordination of transportation and housing 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 portion of the city’s northeast side, which faces widespread 

abandonment, environmental contamination, poor 

transit accessibility, and housing needs. The Partnership 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 project 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 Administration’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 transit project proposals. Changes will give meaningful consideration to a broader range of benefits 

transit can provide, including economic development, a healthier environment, and increased 

access to opportunities.

EPA’s Environmental Justice Showcase Communities 

program convenes federal agencies, state and local government entities, non-governmental organizations, and 

other stakeholders to help underserved communities 

shape their neighborhoods’ futures with comprehensive, locally appropriate solutions. As one of ten Environmental 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 participated in the Jacksonville project’s kickoff event, where 

they toured the northeastern part of the city, a disadvantaged area with several Superfund and brownfield sites and high rates of heart disease, cancer, 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 Environmental 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.
12 Progress for American Communities  PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Coordinating Policies and Funding Programs

The three agencies have been working together in 

unprecedented ways to promote sustainable communities 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 others. 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 advancing 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 communities in support of the Partnership and will 

work with a wide range of stakeholders to produce 

research, tools, and other resources to help communities create sustainable neighborhoods.

Regional Partnerships

The national Partnership for Sustainable Communities is being replicated by field staff in the 

three agencies’ regional offices around the country. 

Regional HUD, DOT, and EPA staff are collaborating on a variety of projects. For example, 

regional HUD, FTA, and EPA staff met with Tucson leaders to kick off the Tucson Modern Streetcar Project, a TIGER grant recipient. They toured 

the corridor and explored opportunities to connect 

the streetcar project to other local public investments, 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 programs, 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 transportation 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 quality 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 Program, including providing smart growth assistance 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 Management Agency (FEMA) to incorporate sustainable 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 agencies. 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 adaptation 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 disadvantaged communities, including rural and tribal 

areas. The Partnership will make sure our 

programs are fair and inclusive. The Partnership for Sustainable Communities recognizes 

that effective decision-making about how 

and where growth occurs depends on understanding 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 April 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 coordinate 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, pollution, and ended up isolating our communities 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 Communities 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 April 2010

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

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

HUD Launch of Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities 

In February 2010, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan publicly announced the creation of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities. The 

office will be overseen by Deputy Secretary Ron Sims and is under the management of Director Shelley Poticha. The office will help build 

stronger communities by connecting housing to transportation, fostering local innovation, 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 housing choices will create 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 Crossings District in Iowa City, Iowa; and the Westside Affordable Housing Transit-Oriented Development in National City, 

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

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

DOT is evaluating grants for two new pilot programs to support livability projects. Up to $150 million is available for bus livability projects to 

provide new mobility options to improve access to jobs, healthcare, and education. $130 million is available for Urban Circulator Grants, which will 

connect destinations and foster walkable, mixed-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 offer technical assistance to New York, Maryland, and California – to use their 

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

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

DOT Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants 

In February 2010, DOT announced $1.5 billion in TIGER grants 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 and help get the U.S. economy back on 

track. The TIGER grant program targets major national and regional transportation projects that are often difficult to pursue through 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 range in size from under $4 million to over $100 million and are found in both rural and 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 second round of TIGER grants. $30 million of those funds can be used for planning and 

capacity building to generate and fund projects that improve livability. More information: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/dot3010b.htm 

Smart Growth Implementation Assistance 

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

projects—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: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm 

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

FTA and HUD have developed an action guide to help planners implement mixed-income, transit-oriented development. This interactive 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 limited its New Starts funding recommendations. DOT is making this change in 

order to give meaningful consideration to the full range of benefits that transit can provide, including shorter travel times, congestion relief, and 

other important economic development, environmental, and social benefits. 

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

EPA Urban Waters Initiative 

Under the new Urban Waters Initiative, EPA will work with HUD and DOT to promote equitable redevelopment adjacent to urban waterways, reinvest in existing infrastructure, improve water quality, and revitalize waterfront neighborhoods, especially disadvantaged neighborhoods. EPA 

expects to announce a Request for Proposals in 2010 for approximately $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 coordinate 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 launch the Partnership for Sustainable 

Communities. 

On the Road: Learning from States, 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 the overall sustainability of federal government facilities. The EO 

includes requirements for setting greenhouse gas reduction targets, 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 for locating new federal facilities in sustainable communities. 

DOT Funds for Urban Circulator Projects 

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

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

of life while also creating jobs. The grants will be announced in early 2010. More information: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/ 

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 developed on formerly commercial and industrial sites while ensuring 

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

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

together to identify sites and ensure sustainable cleanup and redevelopment. 

New EPA Pilots and Initiatives 

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

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

of this technical assistance is to promote more widespread adoption 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 create 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 Crossings 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, improve water quality, and revitalize waterfront neighborhoods – 

especially disadvantaged neighborhoods. 

Grant Coordination 

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

• EPA is collaborating with HUD and DOT in its review of applications for EPA'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 proposed 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 coordinate 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 launch the Partnership for Sustainable 

Communities. 

On the Road: Learning from States, 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 the overall sustainability of federal government facilities. The EO 

includes requirements for setting greenhouse gas reduction targets, 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 for locating new federal facilities in sustainable communities. 

DOT Funds for Urban Circulator Projects 

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

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

of life while also creating jobs. The grants will be announced in early 2010. More information: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/ 

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 developed on formerly commercial and industrial sites while ensuring 

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

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

together to identify sites and ensure 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 infrastructure investments are used to promote location-efficient 

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

states to reinvest in their existing infrastructure 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, proximity to transit, and the potential for affordable housing. 

These projects will provide HUD, DOT and EPA opportunities to work together to provide technical 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, improve water quality, and revitalize waterfront neighborhoods – 

especially disadvantaged neighborhoods. 

Grant Coordination 

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

• EPA is collaborating with HUD and DOT in its review of applications for EPA'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 proposed 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, promoting 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 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 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 environmental 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 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 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 leadership on this issue. EPA has been working 

for years on issues of smart growth and this Partnership represents 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 sustainable for the long term, mobility, housing, and 

environmental issues are entirely interconnected. Working across agencies gives us an 

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

environment, cut costs and harmful emissions from transportation, and build more affordable 

homes in communities all over the country. 
Most importantly, this Partnership acknowledges that 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 reduction strategy, we should have a strategy to reduce vehicle 

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

residents must pay for transportation, energy, and water. 

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

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

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

represents a new approach for federal agencies. Our desire to work 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 policies, rules, and spending 

influence development patterns. We have an interest—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 disproportionally harms disadvantaged communities, then it 

2
is a federal responsibility in general—and specifically an Environmental Protection Agency 

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

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

communities more resilient to the economic and environmental challenges facing America. 

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

• Well-designed, energy-efficient, and affordable 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 free of toxic contamination. 

We have created a framework that will guide the cooperative development 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 areas with existing infrastructure. 

3
Together, these development strategies emphasize environmental, economic, cultural, and social 

sustainability. Our collective implementation of those 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 residents 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 equally 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 effects of the state’s energy boom on its 

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

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

populated states in the nation, residents sometimes found themselves snarled 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 rural America as they are in New York, New Haven, 

Birmingham or Houston. 

Climate Change 

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

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

4
Combined, buildings and transportation contribute 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 discussion. We don’t have the luxury of a far-off day 

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

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

We already see: 

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

seasons; 

• stronger storms, which not only increase the 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 severity of these changes over the long term. 

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

economy. The President has committed to doubling within the next three years 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 that will be used in transportation. 

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

health impacts of buildings -- partnering with key players to improve green building standards, 

support needed research, provide better information to the public and 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 small 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 Safety Administration, EPA intends to propose the 

first-ever car and SUV greenhouse gas emissions 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 this country and roughly 20 percent of U.S. CO2

emissions come from passenger vehicles. More efficient vehicles and cleaner fuels simply will 

not be enough to meet our greenhouse gas reduction 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 exists today—it’s called smart growth. We know 

that investing in public transportation, making communities more walkable, and creating more 

housing near job centers results in less driving. 

Clean Air 

It is also critical to build on the 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 transportation planning will be important. 

For over 30 years, EPA has been the lead Federal agency in coordinating state and local air 

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

agencies calculate emissions benefits from many of the strategies that support sustainable 

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

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

EPA has worked in partnership with DOT for over 15 years to better integrate air quality, land 

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

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

impact of new transportation activities 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 about lofty goals, we can show the impact in a real 

world example: Atlantic Station is a 138-acre redevelopment project 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 million square feet of retail and entertainment 

space, and 1,000 hotel rooms, and it will have 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 anticipation of future transit 

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

compared to 32 miles a day for the average Atlantan. 

Although Atlantic Station is an example of a project that was developed, in part, to support state 

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

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

and commercial space. This efficient land use 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 America’s waterways. The 

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

solution to water quality problems and is a core quality 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 water, wastewater treatment and 

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

environment. 

EPA is poised to significantly increase its funding 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 Clean Water SRF. This additional funding will help 

communities meet the challenges of upgrading aging wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. 

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

water infrastructure investments with transportation 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 will provide guidance and technical assistance to 

states to encourage them to use Clean Water State Revolving Funds for projects using green 

infrastructure and low-impact development approaches 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 transportation. 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, offices, and other amenities and provide residents 

with transportation choices, such as transit villages. 

In rural areas, New Jersey focuses on replacing 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 urban areas to help communities develop and grow 

sustainably. 

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

Fund practices and policies that favor smarter growth, 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 working with my colleagues from DOT and HUD to 

revitalize neighborhoods that have suffered 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 empower states, tribes, 

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

To date, EPA Brownfields Program has supported 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 infrastructure and transportation, they represent 

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

of prosperity. 

Healthy communities are not only environmentally 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 daily life, all close enough together 

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

This type of neighborhood is particularly important for children and people who are physically 

unable to drive, or those who just 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 transit spend just 9 percent. 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 grocery 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 their job so they can read on their way to work. 

These kinds of neighborhoods exist all over the country, 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 environmentally responsible affordable housing in these 

neighborhoods. Coordinating with state housing 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 affordable housing funds to meet multiple goals. 

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

guidelines for housing programs to create mixed-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 land 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 and support a healthier watershed. 

12
13

As partners, EPA, DOT, and HUD can help communities make sure that publicly financed 

housing is attractive, safe, and convenient to daily destinations and that residents will have a 

range of transportation options. 

Conclusion 

As a nation, we face the most serious economic downturn since the Great 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 clock 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 achieve the economic and environmental goals 

President Obama has outlined for our nation. 
Statement of Secretary Shaun Donovan 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 before your Committee today that includes 

six “livability principles” that will guide our work together. 

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

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

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

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

vitality in the 21st century depends on our ability to work together in partnership. 

Earlier this year, I was pleased to testify before the 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 coordination 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 mortgage 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 remains 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 foreign oil and drive down energy costs for consumers 

and businesses alike. 

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

integrated solutions to the multidimensional 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 issues of affordability, competitiveness, and 

sustainability. 

Problem Statement 

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

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

affordable housing – cannot be achieved 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 cities, suburbs and rural areas. 

The average American household now spends 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 household 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, working families are spending more on 

transportation than on housing. 

The connection between transportation options 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—are more vulnerable to price 

devaluation. Homes in distant or remote neighborhoods showed a greater decline 

in value, while some centrally‐located homes held or increased their value 

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

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

college. 

2
In less-connected developments–for instance, many suburbs—while housing costs 

may be lower, transportation costs are higher – 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 mismatch between good housing 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 opportunities 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 HUD that much more challenging. As 

decentralization has increased, the spatial mismatch between the location of 

affordable housing and employment and educational opportunities in metropolitan 

areas has worsened. Fewer low‐wage families can find housing 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, decentralization and sprawl have a clear 

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

and increased greenhouse gas emissions. 

In recent years, we’ve made great progress 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 buildings account for almost 40 percent of our 

emissions – about half of which is through our homes1

. 

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

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

nearly $4 billion to public housing authorities for public housing modernizations, 

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

approximately $250 million more in energy-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 Stabilization Program to stabilize and revive 

neighborhoods with heavy concentrations 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 Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal includes 

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

Energy Innovation Fund that will help catalyze a home energy retrofit market 

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

energy efficient mortgages to increase the number of homes retrofitted for energy 

efficiency. 

But as HUD works to make buildings more energy efficient, offer more affordable 

housing options that increase opportunity in our communities, and help working 

families facing foreclosure or rapidly declining 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 Sustainable 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 coordination and collaboration. 

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

metropolitan regions, via competition, to develop integrated housing, land use, and 

transportation plans – and to use those integrated plans to drive the planning and 

4
decision‐making of localities, which will help increase transportation choices and 

reduce combined housing and transportation costs for American families. 

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

growth tailored to specific metropolitan markets that federal housing, 

transportation, and other federal investments can support. 

Funding to these metropolitan regions would generally be used to support the 

development of integrated, state‐of‐the‐art regional development plans that use the 

latest data and most sophisticated analytic, modeling, and mapping tools available. 

These efforts will benefit urban, suburban 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 that 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 land use rules. The grants will also assist states and 

localities to design and implement a variety 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 transportation affordability index. 

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

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

affordability index will empower consumers 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, efficient 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 transit, 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 department in support of this integrated 

planning. 

Finally, we are also establishing a jointly-administered research and evaluation 

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

historic effort will aggressively 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 identify 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 progress. Teams from our agencies are 

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

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

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

technical assistance to state and local governments, return brownfield 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 programs. More importantly, they mean that 

we will all be working off the same playbook to better serve American families 

who expect more affordable and sustainable 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 American families, whether commuting to work, 

dropping children off at school, or running errands. It is no secret that providing 

safe, reliable and affordable transportation 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 protecting the public health. 

The second principle – Promoting Equitable, Affordable Housing – is at the heart 

of HUD’s mission. A livable community must be both equitable and affordable. 

Livability is about more than just being efficient – 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 live, work, learn and play together. 

The third principle – Increasing Economic Competitiveness – pinpoints the need to 

coordinate housing, transportation and environmental policy to make us more 

competitive and productive. Our nation’s ability 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 ensure 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 HUD, through our block grant investments in 

cities, counties and rural areas. 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 opportunities 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 levels. We want to 

boost the capacity of local communities to more effectively plan for future growth, 

7
by addressing housing, transportation and other critical issues through coordinated 

work, and support the ability of local communities to think and act regionally. 

Finally, the last principle – Valuing Communities and Neighborhoods – brings the 

entire effort together. We must ensure that federal investments support cohesive, 

safe, healthy and walkable communities, whether in cities, suburbs, or rural areas. 

Research shows that people who live in walkable 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 partners 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. Chairman: 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 every program and every office, at headquarters and in the 

field, to identify the barriers that they encounter, whether institutional, regulatory, 

or statutory, in implementing these principles. 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, suggestions and recommendations about how 

we can incorporate these livability principles 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 Health in King County, WA Lawrence Frank and Company, 

Inc.

8
9

represents the operating statement for the 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 principles to life in the communities we 

serve. 

Third, we look forward to sharing with you 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 and accountability. I’ve directed our new 

Transformation Office to develop strong performance measures for HUD’s 

programs, and I expect nothing less as we turn these principles into policy. 

These performance measures will form the criteria for measuring the success of 

our proposed $150 million FY 2010 Sustainable Communities Initiative. We will 

also look at ways that these can be used to measure 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 sustainable communities Americans want and 

need in the 21st 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 support 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 need 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 policy. My Department looks 

forward to working with members of Congress to make livable communities a 

centerpiece of the new authorization. I’ll discuss that in greater detail later. I would like 

to first discuss the efforts we are undertaking in advance of reauthorization to foster 

livable communities. 

First, I am pleased to announce that Administrator 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 better access to affordable housing, more 

transportation options and healthier communities. This partnership will ensure that these 

housing and transportation goals are achieved 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. The agencies have developed the following 

principles that will direct the collective efforts for implementing this program: 

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

transportation choices 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.

• Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness 

through reliable and timely 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 increase community revitalization, improve 

the efficiency of public works investments, and safeguard rural landscapes.

• Coordinate policies and leverage investment. Align federal policies and 

funding to remove barriers to collaboration, 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.

The agencies are working together to identify 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 already 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 transportation 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 Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 

2
Discretionary Grants. Projects that promote greater mobility, a cleaner environment and 

more livable communities will receive priority over those that do not. This funding will 

open the door to many new innovative and cutting-edge transportation projects. 

Applications will be accepted 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 projects 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, regardless 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, necessitating a separate car ride for every errand. Coordinating 

transportation and land-use decisions and investments enhances the effectiveness of both 

and increases the efficiency of federal transportation spending. Strategies that support 

mixed-use development, mixed-income communities 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 the 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 transportation 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 neighborhoods 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 vehicles. Benefits include improved traffic 

flow, shorter trip lengths, safer streets for pedestrians and 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 economic activity by increasing the viability of 

street-level retail small businesses and professional services, 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 are vehicle trips. A 2005 Seattle 

study found that residents traveled 26 percent 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 neighborhoods that were more dispersed 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 vehicles 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 benefits 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 more sprawling areas generally weigh more 

and are more likely to have higher blood pressure than those that live in more compact 

areas. The average weight of individuals who live in the most sprawling 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 important to rural communities as it is to urban 

areas. Remote locations present unique challenges to mobility, including ensuring access 

for older citizens to services and activities. Providing transportation choices can increase 

community mobility; but the types of options in rural areas might be different, focusing 

on a variety of intercity transportation investments. As economic development is 

undertaken in rural areas, focusing that development 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, the City, County and Metropolitan Planning 

Organizations (MPOs) developed PlanCheyenne which is an integrated community 

master plan that defines the Cheyenne area future growth. The plan places specific 

emphasis on integrating three major elements of the community’s planning efforts: landuse, transportation, and parks and recreation and open space. The transportation 

component of the plan promotes developing mixed-use and activity centers along a 

network of principal arterials. Incidentally, EPA worked with Cheyenne to engage 

residents in developing policy options to implement PlanCheyenne’s vision. 

Livability incorporates the concept of collaborative decision-making. By involving the 

public early in the planning process and coordinating transportation activities with other 

activities related to healthy, sustainable communities, 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 the 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 travel, 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 services; increased 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 include integrated transportation, land-use and 

housing planning policies that encourage mixed-use, compact developments that reduce 

the need for motor vehicle trips and support more transportation options to reduce travel 

distances and time through cities is a very important part of livability. 

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reports that increasing 

numbers of Americans took transit – an estimated 10.7 billion trips in 2008, the highest 

level of ridership in 52 years and a modern ridership record. 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 formed to guide the development of a 

broadly and publicly supported Quality Growth Strategy, the Envision Utah Plan. This 

plan guides development and creates growth strategies 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 housing choices for Utah’s residents. 

It was a priority for those involved in developing this plan to ensure that families could 

live near one another throughout their lives. This is only 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 mix of housing types in a walkable neighborhood, 

the Envision Utah effort found that it is more possible for grandparents to live within 

walking distance of their grandchildren. 

Creating livable communities will result in improved quality of life for all Americans and 

create a more efficient and more accessible transportation 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 TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT TO 

LIVABLE COMMUNITIES 

5
Federal investments in transportation systems and infrastructure, including aviation, 

highways, rail, bus, ferries, and 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 home, school, work, health care, recreation 

areas, and other important destinations. Since 1984, the number 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 transportation options to dozens of these 

communities. Tribal areas also benefit from FTA investments that afford greater 

accessibility and mobility options. 

Federal transportation investment has increased mobility and accessibility throughout the 

country. Businesses benefit from easier access to suppliers, a larger labor pool, and 

expanded consumer markets. These factors 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 suppliers 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-use patterns, and the emergence of new job 

markets require different approaches to managing 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 collaborating to deliver community-based 

transportation services under various authorities. These services, which may be operated 

by private non-profit groups and community organizations, 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 welfare 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 entry level-jobs require 

working late at night or on weekends when conventional transit services are either 

reduced or non-existent. A report 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 percent lived in areas with below average transit 

services. 

6
Transit-oriented, mixed-use development has the potential to provide 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 contribute significantly to the revitalization of 

downtown districts, foster walkable neighborhoods, and offer an alternative to urban and 

suburban sprawl and automobile-focused commuting. Moreover, transit-oriented 

development (TOD) in areas with existing transit service can turn subway stops and 

commuter rail stations into hubs for mixed-use 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 TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND LIVABLE 

COMMUNTITIES 

Clearly the linkage between public transportation 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 entered into a June 2005 Interagency 

Agreement (IAA) to help communities realize the potential demand for transit-oriented 

housing. The IAA was aimed at closing the 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 existing transit corridors in these regions. 

The IAA provided support for a jointly funded research study on Realizing the Potential: 

Expanding Housing Opportunities 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 location 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 affordable housing choices near transit. 

In addition, DOT and HUD have been working as partners to continue development of 

coordinated, integrated strategies, 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 planning is carried out at the regional 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 integrate planning of housing development and 

7
transportation improvements is fundamental to locating new and preserving existing 

affordable housing in proximity to public transportation. This effort 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 related transit-oriented development within 

FTA programs 

• Identification of appropriate 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 housing near transit, to be published by 

the end of the year. 

DOT and HUD are developing a work plan for this effort, which will provide for 

briefings between the two agencies to better understand each other’s programs and how 

their community development activities can be aligned for greater efficiencies of Federal 

investments. 

The Department has engaged its Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to 

provide technical and logistical support, and is using FTA’s regional offices in this effort 

to facilitate better coordination with our Federal partners, MPOs, State departments of 

transportation, and grantees in communities where the planning is actually carried out. 

Finally, the Government Accountability Office is completing an examination of this 

effort in both agencies. The Department will 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 Communities Initiative and the DOT-HUD-EPA 

Partnership. 

DOT has also initiated a Federal Interagency Working Group on Transportation, Landuse, and Climate Change in which HUD and EPA are participating. The goal of this 13-

agency working group is to identify opportunities to better align Federal programs and 

resources to achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions through land-use solutions. The 

working group is currently developing performance 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 Livable Communities Initiative. I am pleased 

to note that DOT already had numerous programs that foster livability – everything from 

8
funding for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, ensuring safety, protecting and enhancing 

the human and natural environment, connecting remote communities to needed services, 

to reducing the impact of freight transportation, congestion mitigation and traffic 

management. 

The ARRA also provided opportunities to promote livability. States must spend three 

percent of their allocation on the Transportation Enhancement Program, which is a 

primary source of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure funding. The remainder of the 

“highway” money is flexible, permitting states and metropolitan areas to spend this 

funding on roads, bridges, transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, freight and 

passenger rail or ports. 

Additional actions would enhance transportation’s contribution to strong and connected 

communities. First, the range of transportation 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 continue to provide jobs for their surrounding 

communities. All segments of the population must have access to safe and convenient 

transportation options to get to work, housing, medical services, schools, shopping and 

other essential activities including recreation. Just as important, our transportation 

investment decisions need to be consistent with policies concerning greenhouse gas 

emissions. And efforts must be renewed to rescue other adverse effects 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 enhances choices for transportation users, providing easy 

access to employment opportunities and services. The initiative 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 Initiative, 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 participation in coordinating transportation and housing 

investments 

• Improve public health by reducing noise and air pollution emissions and by 

increasing opportunities for physical activity through walking and bicycling. 

• Plan for the unique transportation needs of individual communities; and better 

accommodate the needs of our aging population. 

9
10

REAUTHORIZATION OF SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS 

The current authorization for Federal surface transportation programs – the Safe, 

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users 

(SAFETEA-LU) expires at the end 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 taking a hard look at potential 

changes to metropolitan and statewide transportation planning processes to ensure that 

they improve livability. We believe it is important 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 investments and is a piece of the overall effort 

to combine land-use and transportation planning. This shift in development of 

transportation plans can provide for much more efficient Federal spending and can ensure 

a holistic approach to transportation systems – breaking away from the planning silos 

between transportation and land-use plans. 

The Administration’s surface transportation reauthorization proposal is still under 

development, and I look forward to discussing all the options for making livability a real 

centerpiece of the final proposal. 

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I look forward to working 

with the Congress, HUD, EPA, and the transportation community to expand livability 

within our communities, including the connections 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 simultaneously protecting the

environment, promoting

equitable development, and

helping to address the

challenges of climate change.

The following Livability Principles are guiding their work:

 Provide more transportation choices.

 Promote equitable,

affordable housing.

 Enhance economic competitiveness.

 Support existing communities.

 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.

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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/grants_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/grants_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/grants_financing_3558.html

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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/grants_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/grants_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/grants_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.gov/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. Sarbanes Transit in the Parks Discretionary Grant Program: This program protects environmentally

(Continued on page 4) 

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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/grants_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/grants/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/grants_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/grants/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.

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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) 

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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/grants_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

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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/safetealu/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) 

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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/communitydevelopment/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/economicdevelopment/programs/bedi/index.cfm

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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/affordablehousing/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/RECOVERY/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/hsg/mfh/progdesc/eld202.cfm

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/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/mfh/progdesc/renturbanhsg220.cfm

(Continued on page 10) 

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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/offices/hsg/mfh/progdesc/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/hudclips/letters/mortgagee/files/09‐46aml.pdf

http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/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 

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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/brownfields/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/environmentaljustice/

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/environmentaljustice/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) 

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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/environmentaljustice/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/environmentaljustice/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/

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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) 

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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/greeninfrastructure/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. Environmental P

Page 3—National Park Service  Page 11—U.S. Environmental P

Page 4—Federal Transit Administration  Page 12—U.S. Environmental P

Page 5—Planning Raleigh 2030  Page 13—U.S. Environmental P

Page 6—Gateway 1 Corridor Action Plan, Maine  Page 14—U.S. Environmental 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 

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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) 12300 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

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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  

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