The good news is that the tools, data, and proof of concept all exist today; what is needed now is for the federal government to build, or fund the creation of, a National Housing Policy Simulator.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) should designate or hire at least one career staff member to work on housing supply and land use as their primary responsibility.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) could speed the adoption of mass timber through grants that incentivize state and local governments to adopt the latest IBC codes.
Incentivizing organizations to use their profits to build more housing will enable the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to create much more housing in the long term.
Congress and HUD should expand the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) to fund external enforcement organizations.
“The awesome thing is that folks are really interested in a conversion to clean energy and what they can do to support the Tribe. It’s really fun to go out there and see that people want to move in that direction.”
Community navigator programs can provide much-needed capacity combined with deep place-based knowledge to create local champions with expertise in accessing federal funding.
When federal agencies need expert input, they look to advice from external experts and interested citizens through a series of public engagement mechanisms, from public meetings to public comment.
Transmission Champion
From the forests of Western Massachusetts, to the desert mountains of Arizona, to the frosty fields of Wisconsin, Dr. Adria Brooks has made a career out of teaching others why they should care about clean energy.
Fighting for Resilient Communities
From the rugged snowbanks of Alaska to the tropical seaside of Hawai’i, Dr. Olivia Lee Mei Ling has sought to improve the access to, and delivery of, energy. To understand her journey to the Department of Energy and her work today, our story begins in Alaska.
Cement and concrete production is one of the hardest industries to decarbonize. Using its Other Transactions Authority, DOE could design a demand-support program involving double-sided auctions, contracts for difference, or price and volume guarantees.
FAS introduces a cohort of over 20 experts from our Extreme Heat Policy Challenge to develop high-impact policy recommendations that comprehensively address the extreme heat crisis.