Funding-Limited Submission - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program; July 12, 2010

The Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program will support metropolitan and multijurisdictional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments in a manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of: (1) economic competitiveness and revitalization; (2) social equity, inclusion, and access to opportunity; (3) energy use and climate change; and (4) public health and environmental impact.

HUD has established two funding categories:

Category 1: Regional Plans for Sustainable Development

Category 2: Detailed Execution Plans and Programs

The goals of the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program are the following:

1. Foster the development of sustainable communities throughout the United States that are consistent with the following Livability Principles (see June 16, 2009, United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Greener Communities, Greater Opportunities: New Ideas for Sustainable Development and Economic Growth):

a. Provide More Transportation Choices. Develop safe, reliable, and affordable transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce energy consumption and dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote public health.

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. 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.

e. 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.

f. Value Communities and Neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods—rural, urban, or suburban.

2. Support metropolitan areas and multijurisdictional partnerships that commit to adopt integrated plans, strategies, and management tools to become more sustainable.

3. Facilitate strong alliances of residents and regional interest groups that are able to maintain a long-term vision for a region over time and simultaneously support progress through incremental sustainable development practices.

4. Build greater transparency and accountability into planning and implementation efforts.

5. Expedite implementation of the Livability Principles through changes in local zoning and land use laws and regulations that remove barriers to sustainable development for housing, economic development, transportation, and related water, sewer, and other environmental quality issues.

6. Align local, state, and tribal capital improvement programs with the Livability Principles.

7. Assist all regions to move toward sustainability and livability, and, for the regions that have shown a long-term commitment to sustainability and livability, prepare them for implementation and to demonstrate on-the-ground results.

The full announcement can be accessed at:  http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa10/scrpgsec.pdf

No one entity may be lead applicant under more than one Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant proposal.  Further, applicants are required to select only one funding category to be considered for review.  An applicant consortium that submits applications for both funding categories will be considered ineligible for funding consideration.

Because HUD allows an entity to be the lead applicant in just one proposal, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Individuals interested in submitting to this program are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Monday, July 12, 2010:

• Project title, location, and specific category (Category 1: Regional Plans for Sustainable Development;  Category 2: Detailed Execution Plans and Programs)

• Names and departments of the Principal Investigator(s), project personnel, collaborating institutions and/or other partners
• Estimated cost of the project and plans for providing the 20% required leveraged resources.  Note:  The Office of the Vice President for Research is unable to provide this funding due to prior commitments.
• Narrative (2 pages) containing project objectives and project description

The Vice President for Research will appoint a committee to review this material and make a recommendation.  All applicants will be notified in time to prepare and submit the application and supporting material for the August 23, 2010 deadline.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).