HUD Sustainable Communities NOFAS

Overview and Working Session

Presented to

Urban Land Institute PhiladelphiaPublic Sector Outreach CommitteeBy

Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC

July 14, 2010

Partnership for Sustainable Communities

• June 2009 – HUD, DOT, EPA joined together to form the Partnership for Sustainable Communities– Unprecedented agreement to coordinate

federal housing, transportation, and environmental investments, protect public health, promote equitable development, and help address climate change.

“For too long, federal policy has actually encouraged sprawl and congestion and pollution, rather than quality public transportation and smart, sustainable development…” ~ President Barack Obama, 7/13/2009

Partnership for Sustainable Communities

• Livability Principles– Provide more transportation choices– Promote equitable, affordable housing– Enhance economic competitiveness– Support existing communities– Coordinate policies and leverage federal

investment– Value communities and neighborhoods

www.hud.gov

www.dot.gov

www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

Sustainable Communities Planning Grants

• $150 million made available in HUD FY 2010 Budget

• Advance Notice published by HUD in February 2010 / over 900 comments received

• NOFA originally scheduled to be issued week of April 12 / delayed until week of June 21

• Two NOFAs published– Community Challenge Planning Grants (June 21) – Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants (June 24)

• Application Due Dates– July 26 (Community Challenge pre-application)– August 23 (final application for Community Challenge and Sustainable Regional

Planning Grants)

Related Funding Program: TIGER II

• Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER): $600 million in Discretionary Grant funding made available in DOT FY 2010 budget

• Eligible Projects– Capital investment projects ranked by selection criteria– Up to $35 million may be used for TIGER II Planning Grants

• NOFA published by DOT June 1, 2010

• Application Due Dates– July 26 (pre-application for TIGER II Planning Grants / coordinated with

Community Challenge Planning Grants)– August 23 (final application / same as Community Challenge and Sustainable

Communities Regional Planning Grants)

Available Funding

• Total FY 2010 Funding Available– Community Challenge Planning Grants: up to $75 million (includes up to $35

million in TIGER II Planning Grants)– Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants: up to $98 million

• Maximum / Minimum Grant Size– Community Challenge Planning Grants: $3 million max. / no min.– Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants

• Large Metropolitan Regions (>500,000 or more in population): $5 million max. / $500,000 min.

• Medium Size Regions (200,000 to 499,000): $2 million max. / $200,000 min.• Small-Sized Regions (<200,000): $ 1 million max. / $100,000 min.

Eligible Applicants

• Community Challenge Planning Grants– State and local governmental entities– Can include counties, municipalities, transit agencies, authorities, etc.

• Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants– Regional coalitions – i.e., multi-jurisdictional and multi-sector partnerships – Required partners:

• MPO or other regional planning agency• Historic central city and / or jurisdiction with the largest population• A regional nonprofit organization, foundation, or educational institute

Eligible Activities

• Community Challenge Planning Grants– Comprehensive, area, and corridor plans– Revisions to zoning, development regulations, and building codes– Affordable housing strategies

• Can include acquisition funds / land banks for affordable housing

– Transportation planning projects (e.g., TOD) integrated with housing

Eligible Activities

• Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants– Category 1: Regional Plan for Sustainable Development– Category 2: Detailed Execution Plan and Program

• Assumption is that a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development that the plan / program is to implement must be in place

– Category 3 (Catalytic Projects) from the Advance Notice has been eliminated / this NOFA is for planning

• Limited pre-development activities (architecture, engineering, urban design) for implementation projects may be considered under Category 2

Eligible Activities

• Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (minimum components)– Adopt a housing plan– Incorporate equity / fair housing analysis into regional planning– Advance regional transportation planning– Advance water infrastructure planning– Perform environmental planning– Plan for economic development activities– Conduct scenario planning (project /anticipate responses to economic growth

possibilities)– Conduct comprehensive climate change impact assessments– Must set appropriate 3-5 year benchmark performance targets

Match Requirements

• Community Challenge Planning Grants– 20% minimum: can be provided in in-kind contributions and / or funding

from other grant programs, philanthropic, or private sources

– Other federal funding can not be used to match TIGER II Planning Grants

• Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant– 20% minimum: can be provided in in-kind contributions and / or funding

from other grant programs, philanthropic, or private sources

• Applications with matches exceeding 20% will be rated higher

Application Requirements

• Community Challenge Planning Grants– Pre-application (due 7/26): project description, cost, grant funding

requested, etc.– Application (due 8/23): max. 15-page response to Rating Factors

• Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants– Application (due 8/23): two-page abstract, max. 25-page response to Rating

Factors

Rating Factors

• Community Challenge Planning Grants1. Purpose and Outcomes

• Alignment with Livability Principles• Must achieve at least two of six outcomes

2. Quality and Effectiveness of Work Plan

3. Leveraging and Collaboration• Includes the amount of matching resources exceeding 20%

4. Capacity• Activities must be initiated within 120 days of grant award

Outcomes

• Community Challenge Planning Grants (must achieve at least two)

1. Travel changes (e.g., changes in mode share / VMT)

2. Impact on affordability and accessibility

3. Economic development (including infill / land recycling)

4. Improvement to the state of repair of infrastructure

5. Environmental benefits (e.g., greenhouse gas emission reduction, open space preservation)

6. Increased participation / decision-making by populations traditionally marginalized in public planning processes

Rating Factors

• Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants

1. Capacity / Related Organizational Experience

2. Needs / Extent of the Problem• Requires research / documentation of “data points”

3. Soundness of Approach• Quality and cost-effectiveness of work plan

4. Leveraging Resources• Extent of partnerships / matching resources

5. Achieving Results and Program Evaluation• Includes eight mandatory outcomes

Outcomes

• Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants (mandatory)

1. Creation of regional transportation, housing, water, and air quality plans aligned with local comprehensive land use and capital investment plans

2. Federal planning and investment resources aligned with local and regional strategies for achieving sustainable communities

3. Increased participation / decision-making by populations traditionally marginalized in public planning processes

4. Reduced social and economic disparities for low-income, minority, and other disadvantaged populations

Outcomes

• Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants (mandatory)

5. Decreased per capita VMT and transportation-related emissions

6. Decreased combined housing and transportation costs per household

7. Increased infill development (encourage revitalization / minimize displacement of disadvantaged populations)

8. Increased proportion of low and very-low income households within a 30-minute transit commute of employment centers)

• Can achieve additional outcomes in addition to the mandatory ones

Questions and Discussion

1. How can the Philadelphia / Delaware County Region take advantage of the immediate (FY 2010) funding opportunities represented by these NOFAs?– Community Challenge Planning Grants– Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants

2. What does the Sustainable Communities Partnership and Livability Principles mean for future federal policy and funding directions?– Reflect expectations for programs such as Choice Neighborhoods (successor

to HOPE VI) and the upcoming reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act

– Preferred Sustainability Status can be established through 2010 Regional Planning Grant submissions

Preferred Sustainability Status

All applicants achieving a specified threshold score in their submission for the 2010 round of the Sustainable Communities Regional Grant Program will qualify for Preferred Sustainability Status, which signifies that the region is ready to advance planning that prioritizes sustainability and inclusion as core outcomes of community development. Applicants that meet this criterion will qualify for a broad spectrum of benefits, including access to capacity building resources, and secure potential points in a number of funding opportunities managed by other federal agencies such as HUD, DOT, and EPA. Applicants receiving the Preferred Sustainability Status that do not receive funds in this funding round will be able to preserve certain aspects of their application for next year’s competition.