HUD has announced $67 million to support sustainable local initiatives through the competitive FY 2011 Regional Planning Grant Program from the HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities.

>>>Download the PolicyLink 2011 Equity Guide 

NEW: 2011 Equity Guide from PolicyLink is designed to help prospective Sustainable Communities applicants effectively address equity in their proposals. PolicyLink created this guide to help prospective Sustainable Communities grant applicants effectively address equity in their proposals. Includes checklists and highlights for each rating factor as well as promising practices from the first round of grants.

Last year, HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), launched an unprecedented new program to help regions plan for sustainability. In October 2010, nearly $100 million was awarded through a competitive process to 45 different regions to create and implement regional plans that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments.

On July 28, HUD announced the availability of $67 million for this competitive regional grant process. HUD has made equity a significant priority of the Sustainable Communities program by emphasizing the need for engagement of low-income communities and communities of color and by encouraging regions to use this process to plan for and create communities of opportunity.

The recent Advance Notice of Funding builds upon this by requiring applicants to:

• Prioritize inclusion and participation of traditionally marginalized communities 
• Identify and address structural disparities throughout the different phases of the planning process 
• Set aside a minimum of 10 percent of the total budget for community engagement activities 
• Address how the plan will build inclusive communities and advance economic opportunity for all 

QUESTIONS: If you have any Sustainable Communities-related questions, contact Kalima Rose at PolicyLink kalima@policylink.org or Danielle Bergstrom at dbergstrom@policylink.org.

More on the HUD Sustainability Grants program and deadlines at CaliforniaConvergence.org/funding