HUD announced this week the formation of a new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, along with $100 million in grants for regional integrated planning initiatives.
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."
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