Federal Sustainability Grants are Here!
Ah, welcome summertime. Baseball, cherry pie, vacation, some time at the beach with the family, a more languid pace overall, right?
If you’re involved in sustainable economic and community development and you’re tracking federal grants for your partners and projects – sorry, not so much. You’ll need to take your vacation in the fall. That’s because federal agencies, charged with obligating grant funds from their various programs before the end of the government fiscal year (September 30), are now issuing funding notices in droves to provide sufficient time for the gears of government funding to work.
These opportunities to apply for federal funding (known in government-speak as Notices of Funding Availability or “NOFAs”), provide all you need to know to apply for funding from the dizzying array of federal programs currently undertaken to promote sustainable development, particularly through the Partnership on Sustainable Communities.
Below are listed some of the current, recently issued NOFAs for sustainable development. But before you take the plunge into this world, you should be aware of a few key points:
- This may be one of the last opportunities to apply for these amounts of federal sustainability funds on this scale. I’m amazed at the amounts of money that are being made available for these programs – depending on who’s doing the counting, more than $4.5 billion at the Department of Transportation, $610 million at HUD, and $75 million at EPA. Regardless of how you feel about this level of spending, it’s hard to imagine the federal government being able to sustain this level of domestic discretionary spending for a number of years, given the levels of federal deficit and debt. If you want a guide to this cornucopia of funding possibilities for your community, see the list of programs here.
- Who’s your Partner? And how much money does he (she, it, etc.) have? Many of the programs limit eligible applicants to government or non-profit entities while welcoming private partners; there’s no hard and fast rule, so check the eligibility requirements first. Moreover, most of the programs require at least a modicum of local matching funds or in-kind investments and score applications favorably for greater levels of local investment. The federal government realizing quite correctly that local skin in the game disproportionately increases the likelihood of success of the overall project.
- Don’t wait until the last minute to begin your application. It’s true that many of these programs have been under development for upwards of a year now, and many partnerships targeting these funds have been under development during that time. Don’t let that dissuade you from applying for funding; however, it’s quite possible that your partners and communities are already undertaking the very types of activities that the programs are looking to fund. The application process isn’t simple, so it’s best to start lining up your partners and application materials now.
Here are some of the current NOFAs that you should be aware of:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Greening America’s Capitals. This new technical assistance program from EPA will help state capital cities design more sustainable communities. Greening America’s Capitals will assist state capitals, selected through a competitive application process, in developing a vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate innovative green building and green infrastructure. EPA will provide design assistance to up to four cities per year to help them use sustainable designs to develop neighborhoods with multiple social, economic, and environmental benefits. With funding from EPA, these design teams will assist the city staff in developing project strategies to accelerate sustainable development in priority neighborhoods and create sustainability models for other cities to follow. The projects also could be used as testing grounds for larger, city-wide actions, such as changes to local codes and regulations to better support sustainable growth and green building. Initial deadline for a letter of interest is July 9; see more details on the program and application process here.
Department of Transportation (DOT) “TIGER II” and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sustainable Community Challenge Grant Investments – Joint NOFA. Putting teeth behind the collaborative principle that governs the Partnership on Sustainable Communities, HUD and DOT this week joined forces to award up to $75 million in funding – $35 million in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II Planning Grants and $40 million in Sustainable Community Challenge Grants for localized planning activities that ultimately lead to projects that integrate transportation, housing and economic development.
TIGER II Planning Grants may be used to plan, prepare or design surface transportation projects that would be eligible for funding under the TIGER II Discretionary Grant program. These projects include highways, bridges, transit, railways, ports or bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
HUD’s Sustainable Communities funding will target urban and community planning projects that foster reform and reduce barriers to achieving affordable, economically vital and sustainable communities. Such efforts may include amending or replacing local master plans, zoning codes, and building codes either on a jurisdiction-wide basis or in a specific neighborhood or sector to promote mixed-use development, affordable housing and the re-use of older buildings for new purposes with the goal of promoting sustainability at the local level.
Under the joint NOFA, DOT and HUD will make joint awards, where appropriate, as well as individual TIGER II planning grants and HUD Sustainable Community Challenge Grants. Pre-applications are due July 26. Full applications are due on August 23. State and local governments, including U.S. territories, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities and others, are eligible to apply for funding. You can view the NOFA here.
HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program. On June 24, HUD issued its NOFA for its $98 million Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program. This program will support metropolitan and multijurisdictional planning efforts (towards a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development) that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments in a manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of: (1) economic competitiveness and revitalization; (2) social equity, inclusion, and access to opportunity; (3) energy use and climate change; and (4) public health and environmental impact.
It is the principal manifestation of HUD’s efforts so far to incorporate the Six Livability Principles of the Partnership on Sustainable Communities into the real-world planning process. The deadline for application is August 23rd; you can view the NOFA here.
Department of Transportation (DOT) “TIGER II” Infrastructure Grants. On June 1, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released its NOFA for the National Infrastructure Investment (NII) program, referred to as the “TIGER II” program. TIGER II was appropriated $600 million as part of the FY2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-117). The program is similar to the TIGER program that was provided $1.5 billion earlier this year under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Pre-application deadline is July 16; final applications are due August 23. TIGER II grants will be awarded competitively for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure. Projects must have a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area or region. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to highway, bridge, passenger or freight rail or port infrastructure projects. DOT indicates that the two primary criteria for awarding grants will be long-term outcomes, and job creation and economic stimulus.
Below is a list of resources on the TIGER II Program:
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