Statement by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan on Senate Banking Committee Passage of Livable Communities Act

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Banking Committee voted to approve the Livable Communities Act, a proposal to create the next generation of smarter, sustainable and energy-efficient communities. Sponsored by Chairman Christopher Dodd, this bill would authorize HUD's new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities and create an interagency working group within the federal government to align the community planning and development functions of HUD, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other agencies to allow for a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to building better communities. The following is a statement by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan:

"Today, the Senate Banking Committee took a bold and forward-thinking step toward creating the next generation of livable and sustainable communities. In particular, Chairman Dodd understands that if we're going to encourage the development of smarter, more energy-efficient communities, we have to break down the policy silos that keep many parts of our government from talking to each another. Not only does this measure align the collective energies of the federal government toward this task, but it will help generate jobs, encourage a new way of thinking about land use, reduce congestion, and generally make our neighborhoods better places to live."

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