Seattle Times columnist Joel Connelly says the announcement reflects "radical changes" in how federal urban policy is made.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan told Connelly: "We are trying to reassert federal leadership and support, but do it in a way that is not one-size fits all: We're trying to reassert a federal presence, but as partnership."
That partnership will be led by HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims, who the agency says "won national recognition for turning King County, Washington into a model for sustainable communities."
