Legislative Updates
Senate votes to preserve funding for Partnership for Sustainable Communities programs
Posted on September 20, 2011 by Smart Growth America
Washington, DC – The Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development voted today to preserve funding for two key components of the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities in the FY2012 appropriations bill. Smart Growth America President and CEO Geoff Anderson released the following statement:
“The Partnership for Sustainable Communities is helping dozens of communities across the country grow in ways that support their local economies and are fiscally responsible. We applaud the Senate for protecting these innovative, effective programs.
“The Partnership’s programs are helping small towns rebuild their main street, and they’re helping mid-sized cities improve their business districts. These projects are rebuilding roads, renovating abandoned properties, creating pedestrian friendly downtowns and dozens of other worthwhile projects that will help American communities recover from the economic downturn and stay strong in the coming decades. We strongly encourage Congress to approve funding for these critical programs.”
Today’s bill includes $90 million for HUD’s Sustainable Communities Initiative, a $10 million decrease from FY2011, including $63 million for Regional Planning Grants and $27 million for Community Challenge Grants. The bill also includes $550 million for USDOT’s TIGER program, an increase of $23 million from last year. The bill is scheduled to be marked up tomorrow by the Appropriations Committee. Amendments will be allowed.
The Partnership for Sustainable Communities is an investment in more efficient and effective government. It helps communities break down barriers in existing federal housing, transportation and infrastructure programs while providing an incentive for improving regional collaboration among public, private and non-profit stakeholders. Projects supported by these grants are the product of local leadership driven by the vision and values of local residents, save households and their municipalities money and help to build a 21st century economy.
Comprehensive Land Use Reform & Partnership Act
Comprehensive Land Use Reform & Partnership Act (CLURPA) Summary
Comprehensive Land Use Reform & Partnership Act (CLURPA) Text with Annotations
Comprehensive Land Use Reform & Partnership Act (CLURPA) Table
APA Policy Guides
APA policies are developed through a thorough process of chapter and division involvement under the overall guidance of the Legislative and Policy Committee.
In addition to articulating specific policies that establish principles for better addressing our issues, APA develops more specific guidelines that recommend specific actions on the part of APA members through leadership, chapters, divisions, and allied organizations that move toward an improved social and political environment for planning to play its most effective role. Together, these two elements — policies and general recommendations — form APA Policy Guides.
The process begins with the selection of a topic or issue. These topics are, for the most part, APA’s Legislative Priorities. After a topic is chosen, a team of authors and reviewers is selected to produce a draft guide for review by the Legislative and Policy Committee. Once the draft guide is approved by the Legislative and Policy Committee it is sent to all APA Chapters and appropriate APA Divisions for review and comments. Comments are submitted to the Legislative and Policy Committee and a final draft is prepared for presentation at a Chapter Delegate Assembly. During the Assembly, chapter delegates make any final changes and then vote to adopt the draft guide. Once the guide is adopted, it is forwarded to the APA Board of Directors for ratification.
To learn about APA policy guides, see: http://www.planning.org/policy/guides/