APA Statement on Continued Partial Government Shutdown

Statement from the American Planning Association from APA President Kurt Christiansen, FAICP, on the Continued Partial Government Shutdown

The ongoing federal government shutdown is irresponsible and poses real, and growing, challenges for the nation's communities. Many of the departments and programs shuttered by the lack of action on annual appropriations serve the core needs of the nation's communities — housing, transportation, infrastructure.  The continuing closure of the programs that form the backbone of the federal partnership with local communities has serious consequences.

The job of expanding access to opportunity and boosting prosperity for all should be our priority. As this shutdown continues, the essential work of delivering a better future becomes harder. Planners have a responsibility to serve all people in our communities. Government shutdowns and repeated continuing resolutions represent a failure of good governance that lead to delays in vital investments, disruptions in essential services, inefficiency, and unpredictability.

The White House and Congress need to act now to end this shutdown. It is time to finish the work of funding the government and provide support for the critical needs of the nation's communities.