SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES REGIONAL PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM

Grant: Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program
Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Deadline: August 23, 2010

Description: 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:

• Economic competitiveness and revitalization.
• Social equity, inclusion and access to opportunity.
• Energy use and climate change.
• Public health and environmental impact.

The program will place a priority on investing in partnerships, including nontraditional partnerships (e.g., arts and culture, recreation, etc.) that translate the Livability Principles into strategies that direct long-term development and reinvestment, demonstrate a commitment to addressing issues of regional significance, utilize data to set and monitor progress toward performance goals, and engage stakeholders and citizens in meaningful decision-making roles.

For this program, HUD is establishing two funding categories:

• The Regional Plans for Sustainable Development category supports the preparation of Regional Plans for Sustainable Development that address housing, economic development, transportation, energy, water and environmental quality in an integrated fashion where such plans do not currently exist or where they exist but need to be significantly revised or enhanced.
• The Detailed Execution Plans and Programs category supports efforts to fine-tune existing regional plans so that they address the full complement of Livability Principles in an integrated fashion, the preparation of more detailed execution plans for an adopted Regional Plan for Sustainable Development and limited predevelopment planning activities.

The period of performance for grants made under this program will be no more than 36 months.

Fit for public broadcasting: Applicants for this program are required to partner with local nonprofit organizations, and arts organizations have been specifically targeted by HUD as beneficial partners in creating sustainable communities that are aligned with the six Livability Principles. The goal of this program is to create healthy and vibrant communities, and public broadcasting stations are well-positioned to play a role in adding and expanding the arts and education aspects of communities. Local stations should seek to partner with their local governments and regional planning agencies in order to help create more livable, walkable and environmentally sustainable communities. The exact role that stations play will vary widely; the program guidelines allow for flexibility in the role of arts and nonprofit organizations. This program values applicants who can reach all members of a community, and public broadcasting stations are well-positioned to do that.

On July 7, 2010, HUD and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) held a joint webinar to discuss the opportunities available through this program for arts organizations. The HUD and NEA program officers stressed how important it is for applicants to practice creative placemaking and strategically engage the arts sector in the process of community and economic development. City Arts in Baltimore, Project Row Houses in Houston, HandMade in America in North Carolina and Berkshire Creative in Massachusetts are all examples of creative placemaking and of what HUD hopes to encourage with this grant program. Arts and culture organizations can be an important part of community economic development, and they also reach parts of communities that are not always involved in revitalization programs. The HUD and NEA program officers encouraged arts and culture organizations to make sure they're part of the planning conversations now, so that they can bring a diverse and important perspective to community development projects at their inception. Public broadcasting stations should try to find partners, become part of the planning consortium and contribute to the dialogue about the project.

Eligibility: An eligible applicant is a multijurisdictional and multi-sector partnership consisting of a consortium of government entities and nonprofit partners. A consortium must include, at a minimum, the principal city located within the boundaries of the region, the unit of general local government with the largest population located within the region, additional cities, counties or units of general local government and Indian Tribes that will ensure that the consortium represents no less than 50 percent of the population residing within the region, the regional planning agency and a nonprofit organization, foundation or educational institution within the region that has the capacity to engage a diverse representation of the general population. Additional entities may also be included as part of the applicant consortium.

Anticipated funding: Approximately $98 million is available through this program. At least $25 million will be awarded to regions with a population of less than 500,000.

How to apply: Applications must be submitted electronically on Grants.gov.

Resources:
Program notice
Program website
Access resources from HUD's Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program: Opportunities for Public Health Leadership and Healthy Community Design webinar that was held July 7, 2010.
Listen to the joint webinar about opportunities available to arts organizations through this program that was hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts and HUD and held on July
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