Comment Submitted by Housing Authority of Snohomish County
AnonymousSupportGovernment
Summary: The Housing Authority of Snohomish County supports the proposed rule to remove the requirement for Environmental Clearance Officer reviews for large-scale housing projects. They argue that this change streamlines the development process, reduces administrative burdens, and improves project delivery efficiency without compromising environmental protections.
The Housing Authority of Snohomish County (HASCO) supports HUD's interim final rule (FR-6598-I-01) removing the requirement that Environmental Assessments for projects with more than 200 dwelling units or beds be reviewed by Field or Program Environmental Clearance Officers. This change streamlines the environmental review process while maintaining all existing statutory and regulatory environmental protections. Reducing duplicative review steps will help the development of much-needed housing, lower administrative burdens on applicants and agencies, and improve the efficiency of project delivery without compromising environmental compliance. HASCO encourages HUD to finalize this rule and continue pursuing opportunities to make housing development more efficient and less costly.