HUD AND DOT AWARD $1,510,905 TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE LIVABLE COMMUNITIES IN TENNESSEE
Unprecedented joint funding to foster integrated approach to housing, jobs and transportation

ATLANTA - In an unprecedented collaboration between two federal agencies, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today jointly awarded $1,510,905 to
help stimulate a new generation of sustainable and livable communities in the state of Tennessee, connect housing, employment and economic development with transportation and other infrastructure improvements. The joint HUD-DOT funding will support 62 local and regional partnerships seeking to create a more holistic and integrated
approach to connecting affordable housing, job opportunities and transportation corridors.

"Today two federal agencies come together to produce a win-win for local communities around the country," said
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "We're helping local and regional planners connect all the dots in their efforts to
make their communities more sustainable and livable. These grants will help communities to hit on all cylinders, producing more affordable housing near good jobs and commercial centers which will help to reduce our energy consumption and increase competitiveness."

Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, "With the investments HUD and DOT are making today,
we are strengthening neighborhoods by connecting housing with affordable and sustainable transportation choices. This is a win-win for people who live in these communities because they will have travel options to better serve them."

"The Memphis Aerotropolis is more than a transportation network - it is an economic development engine for the
Mid-South," said Congressman Steve Cohen. "These new federal funds will help Memphis maximize the economic impact of the Aerotropolis and enable us to compete more effectively in a 21st century global economy."

"HUD's decision recognizes Maury County's potential for job creation through strategic investments and I am proud
to support dynamic growth efforts along the James Campbell Corridor," said Congressman Lincoln Davis. "By streamlining its zoning laws and cutting through bureaucratic red tape, the City of Columbia will be able to pave the way for the kind of sustainable economic development that will be central to ending this recession."

HUD is awarding $40 million in new Sustainable Community Challenge Grants to help support local planning designed
to integrate affordable housing, good jobs and public transportation. Meanwhile, DOT is awarding nearly $28 million
in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II Planning Grants to implement localized plans that ultimately lead to projects that integrate transportation, housing and economic development.

HUD is awarding the following grants in Tennessee:

The City of Columbia will be awarded $250,000. The James Campbell Corridor Plan will develop new zoning plans
for the major commercial corridor and decaying mall in Columbia after a decline in economic activity accompanying
the closure of the nearby Spring Hill Saturn plant. The plan will focus on infill development to increase residential density and create walkable, attractive destinations through form-based codes for the South Central Tennessee regional commercial hub. An inventory and analysis of existing conditions will determine the impact of high vacancy rates on development and examine traffic flows, peak hours, land use patterns, and the history of development
along the corridor. A visioning stage will incorporate town hall meetings, informative presentations, visioning
exercises, market surveys, and design charrettes. With community goals and a visual depiction for design solutions, Columbia will conduct a comprehensive audit of existing development codes and required physical improvements to identify barriers that could prevent successful implementation.

The City of Memphis will be awarded $1,260,905. The urban area around the Memphis International Airport has recently dubbed an Aerotropolis - a transit and freight hub for which there has been inadequate planning, resulting
in blight, concentrated poverty and crime, and poor esthetics and connectivity. This initiative will identify actions
that will result in measurable improvements, focusing on the improvement transportation infrastructure, rehabilitation of blighted and/or vacant properties, and partnership with the private sector to spur economic development. All of these actions will materially improve the quality of life of existing residents.

HUD's Sustainable Communities Challenge Grants will foster reform and reduce barriers to achieving affordable, economically vital and sustainable communities. These funds will be used by communities, large and small, to
address local challenges to integrating transportation and housing. When these activities are done in conjunction
with transportation projects, they can greatly increase the efficiency and access of local transportation while encouraging mixed-use or transit-oriented development. Such efforts may include amending or updating local master plans, zoning codes, and building codes to support private sector investment in mixed-use development, affordable housing and the re-use of older buildings. Other local efforts may include retrofitting main streets to provide safer routes for children and seniors, or preserving affordable housing and local businesses near new transit stations.

TIGER II Planning Grants will prepare or design surface transportation projects that would be eligible for funding
under the TIGER II Discretionary Grant program. These projects include highways, bridges, transit, railways, ports or bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Rather than require applicants to navigate two separate grant application procedures that might be on different timelines and with different requirements, HUD and DOT joined their two new discretionary planning program to
create one point of entry to federal resources for local, innovative sustainable community planning projects.

The Community Challenge grants compliment the 45 Sustainable Communities Regional Grants announced last week
by HUD. The Challenge Grants help to support local communities seeking to integrate housing, transportation, and environmental strategies that will enhance local economic development, provide greater housing and transportation choices, and develop long-range visions for how they want their community to grow.

The new HUD-DOT program also builds on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an innovative new interagency collaboration, launched by President Obama in June 2009, between the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Guided by six Livability Principles, the Partnership is designed to remove the traditional federal government silos that exist between departments and strategically target the agencies' transportation, land use, environmental, housing
and community development resources to provide communities the resources they need to build more livable, sustainable communities.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.