UPDATE OCT. 31, 2011: No amendments were offered to cut funding for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities programs at either the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the Department of Transportation. The Senate is back from recess this week and is expected to vote on passage.
The following was originally posted on October 13, 2011:
The Senate begins consideration this week of three annual appropriations bills. With the 2012 fiscal year already underway and only one of the twelve appropriations bills approved so far, funding for the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration; Commerce, Justice, and Science; and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) bills will be taken up as a package. The federal government is currently operating on a temporary spending measure that expires on November 18th.
The THUD bill includes funding for the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities. Specifically, $90 million for the Department of Housing’s Sustainable Communities Initiative and $550 million for the Department of Transportation’s TIGER program.
The Partnership for Sustainable Communities is an investment in a more efficient and effective government that helps break down barriers in existing federal housing, transportation, and infrastructure programs. Projects supported by these grants save households and their municipalities money, help build a 21st century economy, and are the product of local leadership driven by the vision and values of the community.
Smart Growth America will be monitoring the THUD portion of this package and any proposed amendments as they are brought to the floor throughout the next two weeks. Stay tuned for updates as they become available.
Photo: Tom via Wikimedia Commons
