IN SUPPORT OF THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

            WHEREAS, sustainable communities are places that provide a variety of housing and transportation choices for their citizens, with destinations close to home; and

            WHEREAS, sustainable communities tend to have lower transportation costs, reduce air pollution and storm water runoff, decrease infrastructure costs, preserve historic properties and sensitive lands, save people time in traffic, be more economically resilient and meet market demand for different types of housing at different price points; and

            WHEREAS, since 2009, an interagency collaboration between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called the Partnership for Sustainable Communities has been working to help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment; and

            WHEREAS, the success of HUD’s Sustainable Communities initiative is demonstrated by the overwhelming number of applications HUD received for it when program funding was available and the extent to which the Sustainable Communities concept is being adopted by other agencies; and

            WHEREAS, HUD’s Sustainable Communities initiative received $100 million in federal funding for FY11, but received no federal funding in both FY12 and FY 13; and

            WHEREAS, for FY14, HUD is requesting $75 million in Integrated Planning and Investment Strategy Grants to more effectively use existing federal dollars and to better coordinate housing, land use, and transportation investments; and

            WHEREAS, in order to more effectively target federal resources, in the proposed FY14 budget, HUD intends to rebrand the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities as the “Office of Economic Resilience,” and house it within the existing Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD),

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the President’s proposed Integrated Planning and Investment Strategy Grants initiative and applauds the Partnership for Sustainable Communities for working to improve the economic competiveness and vitality of cities across the country.