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Livable Communities Act passes Senate Banking CommitteeThe Livable Communities Act Clears Senate Banking Committee
On Tuesday, August 3, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs reported favorably S.1619, The Livable Communities Act, by a 12-10 vote. The bill statutorily authorizes the Office of Sustainable Communities within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and authorizes the existing Interagency Partnership between HUD, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The bill also authorizes two competitive grant programs which would be contingent on future appropriations. A total of $475 million over four years is authorized for the Comprehensive Planning Grant program, which would assist communities in developing comprehensive regional plans that must consider transportation needs, affordable and accessible housing, economic development, and environmental concerns.
The second competitive grant program, the Challenge Grant Program, authorizes $2.2 billion over three years to implement projects identified as priorities in comprehensive regional plans. These grants would provide funds for projects such as public transportation improvements, support for transit-oriented development, pedestrian and bicycle enhancements, the preservation and creation of affordable housing, and to promote economic development. Communities that have not yet reached the stage of creating a comprehensive regional plan would be eligible to use targeted grant funds to update local land use, zoning, and building codes to encourage sustainable development.
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