HUD Partnering for Successful Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable

Left to right: GSA Region IV Administrator Gwen Keyes Fleming and HUD Region IV Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. [photo courtesy of Shan Arora, Southface]

More than 100 Atlanta regional business and community leaders recently participated, along with senior federal administrators from HUD and the General Services Administration (GSA), in the Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable in an ongoing dialogue regarding sustainable development issues affecting the region. HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. and EPA Region IV Administrator Gwen Keyes Fleming (http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region4ra.html) were invitees of event organizer Southface Institute (http://www.southface.org/) and provided a sounding board for the concerns and thoughts of local leaders.

This is the third in a series of meetings concerning sustainability, energy and environmental conservation. The previous meetings were part of the White House Energy, Environment and Conservation Summits that were hosted at the Southface Institute. The participants provided keen insight regarding their concerns about sustainability and left the roundtable with a better understanding and appreciation of the role that the federal government has in regards to partnering with them to address their issues.

Sustainable communities are a major goal of the Administration. HUD's Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities mission 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 works 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, it nurtures healthier, more inclusive communities that provide opportunities for people of all ages, incomes, races and ethnicities to live, work, and learn together.

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