The Need to Connect Smart Growth and Affordable Housing

Introduction

Good morning everyone. It is a real pleasure to be back in Vermont. I want to commend the Vermont Housing Finance Agency and their partners for organizing and supporting this forum today. Many parts of the country are just beginning to recognize that there is a deep, fundamental connection between smart growth and affordable housing. You have clearly gone beyond the recognition stage and are actively discussing and working on ways to integrate the efforts to combat sprawl, reinvest in cities and older communities and expand the availability of affordable housing. As in many other things, Vermont is way ?ahead of the national curve?. How you approach these issues in this state will provide strong lessons for the rest of the country.

Today, I would like to discuss three major topics.

First, I want to discuss two related trends affecting cities and metropolitan areas: the rampant decentralization of economic and residential life, ?sprawl? in a word; and the rise in housing unaffordability, not only for the very poor but for an increasing number of families who work but cannot make ends meet in this economy.

Second, I want to describe how the nation is responding to the first major trend but not to the second.

Third, I want to discuss ways both to elevate affordable housing as an issue of national concern and make it an integral part of smart growth conversation and action.