WASHINGTON, DC – September 16, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced the recipients of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Sustainable Communities Research Grant Program to six organizations that will conduct studies in different areas of sustainability research.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with some of the nation’s leading researchers to build on our base of knowledge about what works to create more sustainable communities. As more communities pursue these strategies, we have an increasing need to enhance our empirical data, conduct case studies, and identify best practices that will inform federal policy and investments,” Shelley Poticha, Director for the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The goal of the Sustainable Communities Research Grant Program (SCRGP) is to support efforts by the research community to build on existing evidence-based studies in the broad area of sustainability, and to evaluate new and current tools and strategies that promote and implement more effective policies to: (1) preserve housing affordability; (2) improve accessibility through effective transit systems; (3) reduce the regulatory barriers to sustainable development and strengthen land use planning and urban design standards; (4) advance economic opportunities that create jobs and promote diverse communities; and, (5) address the health of the environment by reducing carbon emissions and conserving energy.
“This year’s grantees will use the $2.5 million in SCRG funding to fill key data and information gaps, and to begin to developing and evaluating policy alternatives that communities can adopt to facilitate decision making about various investments. These investments include affordable housing development and preservation, transportation and infrastructure planning, healthy community design, and “green” and energy-efficient practices. We look forward to seeing the results of their research,” said Raphael Bostic, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Policy Development and Research.
The funding was provided through HUD’s Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act. The Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) reserved $1,500,000 in Transformation Initiative Funds, and the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC) added an additional $1,000,000 under the Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI), bringing the total program amount to $2,500,000. To qualify for funding under HUD’s Sustainable Communities Research Grant Program, applicants must represent Nationally-recognized and accredited institutes of higher education; non-profit foundations, think tanks, research consortia or policy institutes; and for-profit organizations located in the U.S.
The following recipients were awarded funding under the FY10 Sustainable Communities Research Grant Program:
- Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ) – $500,000
- International City/County Management Association (Washington, D.C.) – $284,666
- The National Housing Trust (Washington, D.C.) – $348,696
- The University of Miami (Miami, Fl) – $500,000
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, VA) – $363, 475
The Urban Institute (Washington, D.C.) – $500,000
The Sustainable Communities Research Grant Program is one of several initiatives administered by HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R). For more information about the SCRG recipient proposals please visit: http://beta.huduser.org/huduser/rbc/SCRGP_landing.html.
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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
http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at
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Contact:
George Gonzalez
(202)-708-0685
