Public

Nationwide housing starts rose 2.1 percent in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.21 million units, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department. This is the highest reading since February. Multifamily housing was up 5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 441,000 units in July while single-family production edged up 0.5 percent to 770,000 units

Woodstock Institute is pleased to announce that Derek Barthel has joined the organization on Tuesday, assuming the position of Research Associate. Derek is a skilled researcher with interests in both GIS analysis and environmental research. He comes to Woodstock after a tenure as Research Analyst for Northeastern Illinois University and time working as a paralegal. Both of these positions required considerable fluency with data collection and analysis as well as a high-level of proficiency with GIS and research softwares

Corcoran-SunCal, in partnership with the Boston Housing Authority, today filed a letter of intent with the Boston Redevelopment Authority for design and construction of the redevelopment of the Bunker Hill Public Housing Development, known as One Charlestown.

Builder confidence in the market for newly constructed single-family homes  in August rose two points to 60 from a downwardly revised reading of 58 in July on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Chief Economist Anirban Basu, American Institute of Architects (AIA) Chief Economist Kermit Baker and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Chief Economist Robert Dietz predicted continued growth for the construction industry in 2017 during a joint economic forecast today

Chicago-area consumer bankruptcy practitioners will have the opportunity to examine current issues affecting the profession at the American Bankruptcy Institute’s (ABI’s) Hon. Eugene R. Wedoff Seventh Circuit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference on Oct. 10 at the Jenner & Block Conference Center. Faculty members include experienced local chapter 7 and 13 consumer attorneys and panel trustees, bankruptcy Judges Janet S. Baer, Donald Cassling, Catherine J. Furay, Thomas M. Lynch and the conference’s namesake, ABI President-Elect Hon. Eugene R. Wedoff (ret.).

The Consumers Energy Foundation announced today it has awarded 119 volunteer grants worth $56,825 to nonprofit organizations across Michigan to recognize outstanding volunteerism by Consumers Energy employees and retirees.

The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties decreased 11 basis points to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.66 percent of all loans outstanding at the end of the second quarter of 2016. This was the lowest level since the second quarter of 2006. The delinquency rate was 64 basis points lower than one year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) National Delinquency Survey.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Applications Survey (BAS) data for July 2016 shows mortgage applications for new home purchases increased 2.4 percent relative to a year ago. Compared to June 2016, applications decreased by 8 percent. The month over month change does not include any adjustment for typical seasonal patterns.

Solid home price appreciation more than offset a modest reduction in mortgage interest rates to push housing affordability lower in the second quarter of 2016, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) released today.

Today’s date on the calendar – 8-11 – is a ready-made reminder for homeowners and contractors who have digging projects planned this summer and fall to call MISS DIG811 first, then dig safely. The safety of customers, the public and utility employees is our top priority

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump today vowed to cut regulations that are hurting the housing and economic recovery. Speaking before the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Board of Directors at their Midyear Meeting in Miami, Trump said that overregulation is costing the economy $2 trillion per year.

Today, in reaction to the new report from the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) and the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), “The Ever-Growing Gap: Without Change, African-American and Latino Families Won’t Match White Wealth for Centuries,” the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s (NCRC) President and CEO John Taylor made the following statement

Gene Sperling, a top economic advisor to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, today said that housing will play an important role in a Clinton administration.

Home prices maintained their robust, upward trajectory in a vast majority of metro areas during the second quarter, causing affordability to slightly decline despite mortgage rates hovering at lows not seen in over three years, according to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of Realtors®. The report also revealed that for the first time ever, a metro area – San Jose, California – had a median single-family home price above $1 million.

Mortgage applications increased 7.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending August 5, 2016

Consumers Energy’s interns made an impact on communities across Michigan this summer, helping feed over 3,000 people, picking up nearly 450 pounds of trash and providing educational programming for 120 children.

Clearinghouse Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) announced today that it has successfully deployed $100 million in financing to low- to moderate-income communities through the United States Treasury Department’s CDFI Bond Guarantee Program (BGP) program. Clearinghouse CDFI is the first bond recipient to reach the $100 million milestone. Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) served as the Qualified Issuer of the bond, which was closed in August of 2014

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Treasury released the July Housing Scorecard earlier this month. The report says higher sales of new and previously owned homes, a lower mortgage rate, and higher home prices show that the housing market recovery is continuing

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is steering borrowers toward a down payment assistance program with a funding scheme that violates federal law, forces borrowers to accept a higher interest rate, and poses a risk to the FHA’s insurance fund, according to the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)