Sustainable Partnership

Our Story 

The Mid-Michigan Program for Greater Sustainability (MMPGS) was made possible due to the Sustainable Communities Partnership between the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the US Department of Transportation (DOT), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These three agencies have worked together to help communities around the country to provide more transportation choices, promote equitable affordable housing, enhance economic competitiveness, and support existing communities. Their goal is to facilitate communities towards becoming more healthy and sustainable places to live.

These agencies offer grants for funding community growth and HUD offered one perfect for our community:  to help communities realize their own visions for building more livable, walkable, and environmentally sustainable regions. Along with a local consortium of businesses and organization from Mid-Michigan's Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties, the area's Tri-County Regional Planning Committee applied for and received a $3 million grant to create the MMPGS. These important partners are working together to implement the nine projects that make up MMPGS and you can learn more about each project on our page here. The consortium is working together with local community members to meet the goals of MMPGS and create a healthy, safe, and walkable community for years to come. 


HUD 

Enacted in 1965, The Housing and Urban Development Act, created a cabinet level agency, known as HUD. Since then HUD has been working towards their mission of creating “strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all." Thus far, HUD has been responsible for overseeing the Federal Experimental Housing Allowance Program and Community Development Corporation of 1970, the Housing Development Action Grant and Rental Rehabilitation programs of 1983, and the 1998 Public Housing Reforms. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 granted $13.61 Billion to administer and distribute for projects and programs that serve to promote HUD’s mission. The Recovery Act invested in helping families hardest hit by the Economic Crisis, promoting stable communities, assisted housing improvements, promoting energy efficiency, and creating green jobs (learn more about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009)

Advancements have been achieved through two main funds, The Recovery Act’s Public Housing Capital Fund, and the Community Development Block Grants. The Public Housing Capital Fund has provided $4 Billion to energy efficient modernization and renovation of our nation’s critical public housing inventory and the Community Development Block Grants have provided $1 Billion to over 1,200 state and local governments to invest in their own community development priorities.

As part of HUD’s ongoing aim to support local government needs, and empower communities across the nation, HUD created the Sustainable Communities Fund, and called for program submissions from all 50 states. For the 2011 fiscal year HUD granted $3 Million to Michigan’s Tri-County Regional Planning Commission in order to create the MMPGS. The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission presently runs the Choices for Our Future program, which promotes growth and redevelopment in the housing market, sustainable and reliable transportation, and resource protection. The results and foundation laid by this program will act as guidelines for the formation of the MMPGS. A Mid-Michigan consortium of local sustainability planning offices, agencies, and stakeholders of Clinton, Ingham, and Eaten counties will work together to run the MMPGS. Michigan Energy Options (MEO) is included in the consortium as a local sustainability planning office partner.

The HUD list of Strategic Goals and Policy Priorities for 2013 involve five main points:

  1. Strengthen the nation’s housing market to bolster the economy and protect customers 
  2. Meet the need for quality, affordable, rental homes 
  3. Utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life 
  4. Build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination 
  5. Transform the way HUD does business

On a national level, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has gained a great deal of ground thus far in working towards these goals. For our state level of engagement, the Mid-Michigan consortium will form the Program for Greater Sustainability. HUD outlines these strategic goals as a means to foster strong and sustainable communities, and it is with this shared understanding that the MMPGS will be the catalyst needed for the Tri-County region.

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