Transit Oriented Development (TOD)

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently released the final rule and proposed implementation guidance for its Major Capital Investment Projects program (also known as New Starts/Small Starts), which includes updated provisions for assessing a plan’s commitment to affordable housing.

The California Housing Partnership Corporation recently released a report entitled “Building and Preserving Affordable Homes near Transit: Affordable TOD as a Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Equity Strategy,” which assesses the existing research on the role of preservation and development of affordable housing in transit-oriented development (TOD) areas as a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategy.

On November 13 Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick outlined a bold new plan to produce 10,000 new multifamily housing units a year through 2020.

Congress recently reauthorized federal surface transportation programs in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) legislation (H.R.4348). In addition to other transportation-related funding, the now Public Law (PL) No: 112-141 also includes funding for a new transit-oriented development (TOD) pilot program to provide grant funding for TOD-related activities.

Governor Jerry Brown of California recently released his proposed 2012-2013 budget for the State of California. In the budget, Brown proposed a major reorganization of the state’s Business, Transportation, and Housing (BTH) Agency which would separate the state’s transportation and housing initiatives.

The Center for Housing Policy has released a new guide that focuses on strategies and policies to improve overall housing affordability by reducing both housing and transportation costs. The guide features five policy sections which can each be adopted in order to assure housing is affordable to families of all incomes in areas with ample and reliable transportation options.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published a final rule to implement an update to the baseline Federal energy efficiency performance standards for the construction of new Federal buildings.

Recognizing the need for affordable housing near public transit, the Arizona Department of Housing has partnered with the cities of Mesa, Tempe and Phoenix, the Department of Transportation, the Metro light rail, Arizona State University, community leaders and others to create the Sustainable Communities Working Group.

The National Housing Conference (NHC) and its research affiliate, the Center for Housing Policy recently announced the release of two reports that identify specific regulatory and administrative changes the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could adopt to improve access to mainstream supportive services by residents of subsidized housing and facilitate and encourage the development and preservation of affordable and workforce housing in location-efficient areas.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has released a proposed rule that submits regulations for governing the Housing Trust Fund, established by HERA in 2008 to provide grants to State governments to increase and preserve the supply of rental housing for extremely low- and very low-income families.

House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on September 23 titled “Perspectives on the Livable Communities Act of 2010.”

The International City/County Management Association has issued a new publication, Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities .