On June 16, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partnered 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 changes.
According to HUD, DOT, and EPA the partnership plans to accomplish the following:
- Enhance integrated planning and investment
- Provide a vision for sustainable growth
- Redefine housing affordability and make it transparent
- Redevelop underutilized sites
- Develop livability measures and tools
- Align HUD, DOT and EPA programs
- Undertake joint research, data collection and outreach
Additionally, the interagency partnership has recently produced and distributed several grant programs including:
- $100 million to the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program
- $35 Million in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II Planning Grants
- $40 Million in Sustainable Community Challenge Grants
- $1.5 Billion in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery)\
For additional information on the interagency partnership please click on the following links:
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/dot8009.htm
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/dot-hud-epa-partnership-agreement.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership/index.html