HUD AWARDS $4 MILLION TO PROMOTE SMARTER AND SUSTAINABLE PLANNING FOR JOBS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NORTHEAST OHIO
Part of Obama Administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities

CLEVELAND - For the first time ever, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding
more than $4 million to support more livable and sustainable communities in Northeast Ohio. The funding announced today will support the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency of Cleveland, through a new initiative intended
to build economic competitiveness by connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation.

At a news conference in Cleveland today with Mayor Jackson, Congressmen Dennis Kucinich and Tim Ryan, Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge, and EPA Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said, "These funds will make it possible for Northeast Ohio to create jobs, be more economically competitive, have more housing and transportation choices, and increase their energy independence. It's about planning the future of
a region," he said. "It's about building a new foundation for prosperity that everyone in Northeast Ohio can benefit from – from Youngstown to Cleveland to Akron to Canton."

"Regions that embrace sustainable communities will have a built-in competitive edge in attracting jobs and private investment," said Donovan. "Planning our communities smarter means parents will spend less time driving and more time with their children; more families will live in safe, stable communities near good schools and jobs; and more businesses will have access to the capital and talent they need to grow and prosper. In awarding these grants we were committed to using insight and innovation from our stakeholders and local partners to develop a 'bottom-up' approach to changing federal policy as opposed to 'top-down.' Rather than sticking to the old Washington playbook
of dictating how communities can invest their grants, HUD's application process encouraged creative, locally
focused thinking."

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency of Cleveland will be awarded $4,250,000 to support efforts that cultivate a 21st-century workforce to lift up economically disadvantaged communities, engage residents and businesses in planning that establishes Northeast Ohio as a place of choice to live and work, and coordinate land
use planning to foster a sustainable tax base in all communities through ongoing collaboration and dialogue across functions and political boundaries. Additionally, the Agency will promote equitable, affordable housing; adopt a "fix-it first" housing strategy that minimizes blight and creates affordable alternatives for all income brackets; and provide mobility counseling for low-income residents to promote zip codes of opportunity

HUD's new Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program will support a total of 45 State, local, and tribal governments, as well as metropolitan planning organizations, in the development and execution of regional plans that integrate affordable housing with neighboring retail and business development. Many of the grants will leverage existing infrastructure and all reward local collaboration and innovation.

These grants are part of the Obama Administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which brings EPA,
HUD, USDA and DOT together to ensure that the agencies' policies, programs, and funding consider affordable housing, transportation, and environmental protection together. This interagency collaboration gets better results
for communities and uses taxpayer money more efficiently. Coordinating federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services meets multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives with each dollar spent.

The Partnership is helping communities across the country to create more housing choices, make transportation
more efficient and reliable, reinforce existing investments, and support vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that
attract businesses. At a time when every dollar the federal government invests in jumpstarting the economy is critical, the President's plan ensures that all these agencies are coordinating efforts and targeting resources with precision. Reflecting this new collaboration, these grants were judged by a multidisciplinary review team, drawn
from eight federal agencies and from partners in philanthropy.

HUD's inaugural grants under this program will support metropolitan and multi-jurisdictional planning efforts that incorporate housing, land use, economic development, transportation and infrastructure. This holistic planning approach will benefit diverse areas across the U.S. including $25.6 million split evenly between regions with populations less than 500,000 and rural places (fewer than 200,000 people). HUD is reserving $2 million to help all
of these areas build the needed capacity to execute their plans.

The grants are awarded through one of two categories. One category of grants will assist regional planning for sustainable development where such plans do not currently exist. A second category of funding will support the implementation of existing sustainability plans.

Shelley Poticha, the director of HUD's new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities said, "The response to
this program is huge. We were inundated with applications from every state and two territories – from central cities
to rural areas and tribal governments. This program was designed by people from local government, and incorporated local input at every stage."

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HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to sustaining homeownership; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.