Planning Programs to Watch in the Federal Omnibus Spending Bill

"Congress is racing toward concluding work for the year with significant spending and tax legislation now slated for final action," reports Jason Jordan, director of policy and communication for the American Planning Association.

In addition to such critical achievements as averting a government shutdown, setting funding levels for the next fiscal year, and addressing looming tax questions, "[t]he package also contains provisions related to a number of important planning programs and generally represents positive investment levels for a number of programs supporting local communities."

Jordan goes on to list the planning-related provisions included in the omnibus bill relating to:

• Transportation (TIGER funding)
• HUD (Community Development Block Grants, Choice Neighborhoods, HOME program)
• Taxes (New Market Tax Credit, Low Income Housing Tax Credit)
• Land and Water Conservation Fund 

Planetizen has already caught wind of coverage of the two of the important policies set forth in the Omnibus bill: the beginning of new eras in commuter tax benefits and oil exports.