HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims Addresses Atlanta Regional Conference

US Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims addressing Atlanta Regional Commission 2010 Conference

Approximately 1,000 southeast regional representatives and leaders attended the Atlanta Regional Commission's (ARC) State of the Region breakfast on November 5. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary, Ron Sims provided a inspiring and aspiring address to the audience regarding the need to work in unity to effect positive change in the region while recognizing the role and achievements of HUD in sustainable and livable communities nationwide.

ARC's Chairman, Tad Leithead provided a specific update regarding the region while the audience viewed a video about three innovative initiatives in progress in this region. Also the ARC's and the Livable Communities Coalition presented the 2010 Developments of Excellence Awards to five award recipients. Also ARC provided an executive summary of ARC's two-year, Fifty Forward initiative to develop a long-range vision for our region's future.

In attendance with HUD Deputy Secretary Sims was Ed Jennings, Jr, HUD Southeast Regional Administrator.

ARC is dedicated to unifying the region's collective resources to prepare the metropolitan area for a prosperous future. It does so through professional planning initiatives, the provision of objective information and the involvement of the community in collaborative partnerships. The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 10-county area including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties, as well as the City of Atlanta. For 60 years, ARC and its predecessor agencies have helped to focus the region's leadership, attention and resources on key issues of regional consequence.

HUD's Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities is to create strong, sustainable communities by connecting housing to jobs, fostering local innovation, and helping to build a clean energy economy. In order to better connect housing to jobs, the office will work to coordinate federal housing and transportation investments with local land use decisions in order to reduce transportation costs for families, improve housing affordability, save energy, and increase access to housing and employment opportunities. By ensuring that housing is located near job centers and affordable, accessible transportation, we will nurture healthier, more inclusive communities - which provide opportunities for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities to live, work, and learn together.

For more information go to: http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/program_offices/sustainable_housing_communities

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