Yearly Archives: 2016

$400,000 donation will support nonprofit’s neighborhood revitalization efforts. In celebration of its 150 years of community engagement, Huntington Bank announced today it will donate $250,000 to Habitat for Humanity International and $150,000 to Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio to support neighborhood revitalization efforts.

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) released a white paper describing the importance of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) exam performance context analysis, reviewing current implementation of the analysis, and prescribing improvements. The paper, “CRA Performance Context: Why it is Importance for Community Development and How to Improve it,” shows that current performance context analyses do an unsatisfactory job determining the housing and economic conditions of a community, and often do not adequately solicit the community’s residents about their financial services needs

The Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held an oversight hearing to examine the limited growth of hydropower and barriers to expansion. Hydropower is clean, renewable and emissions-free yet still faces large hurdles in the federal regulatory process. Washington state witness Jessica Matlock, Director of Government Relations for Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1, called for an improved federal hydropower re-licensing process

Mortgage applications decreased 4.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 22, 2016.

WSSC has completed repairs on the 16-inch water main on Rockville Pike near Cedar Lane. Service has been restored to the 116 customers affected by the break. All northbound lanes on Rockville Pike at Cedar Lane are open. One southbound lane is currently open. Once road restoration is finished, all southbound lanes will reopen. That is expected to happen later tonight.

The Boulder Group’s Research Department has released a new research report providing comprehensive numbers and analysis of the activity in the National Net Lease Bank Ground Lease Market.

Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine and El Centro, Calif. Top Growth List; Odessa, Texas, and Bloomington, Ill. Have Largest Declines as Energy Producing Areas Continue to See Drops in Construction Jobs. Construction employment increased in 244 out of 358 metro areas, was unchanged in 44 and declined in 70 between March 2015 and March 2016, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.

For the 19th year, the Milken Institute Global Conference will bring together leaders who drive change. From May 1 through May 4, more than 3,500 people from 55 countries and 45 states will gather for discussion across 11 content tracks, with the overarching theme exploring “The Future of Humankind.

Some of the sunniest states in the country are actively blocking rooftop-solar development through overtly lacking and destructive policy landscapes, according to a Center for Biological Diversity report released today.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today an agreement with a group of Las Vegas landlords settling allegations they retaliated against a tenant with disabilities because she requested permission to install a ramp that would allow her to enter and exit her apartment. Read the agreement.

NeighborWorks organizations assisted more than 7,700 homeowners with rehab projects last year, an increase of ten percent over the year before, and 14 percent higher than 2013. NeighborWorks organizations also helped homeowners complete more than 4,700 owner-occupied repairs, an increase of 30 percent from 2014. Data are for fiscal years ending Sept. 30.

The VHA Privacy Office, in collaboration with the VHA Homeless Program Office, after discussions with the VA Office of General Counsel, is issuing guidance regarding VHA’s legal authority to disclose Veteran information and demographics, which is considered protected health information (PHI), to community partners who assist in serving Veterans who are currently homeless or those with a prior episode of homelessness.

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) were today joined by local housing builders and advocates to urge Congress to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). Schumer and Cantwell pushed a national campaign, led by Cantwell, to increase federal resources for affordable housing. Schumer and Cantwell are calling for a 50 percent expansion of the LIHTC, and reforms to better target the lowest income populations. Since its creation 30 years ago, this tax credit has financed nearly 3 million homes across the United States, several thousand in New York City alone.

Recently obtained data from the CNMI Bureau of Coastal and Environmental Quality confirm what people on Saipan are saying: water service is getting worse. I received the information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and wrote about the new data in an op-ed. I have also talked to Governor Torres to learn more about the problem.

Nationwide released survey* findings on the state of child safety in and around the home in conjunction with the company’s Make Safe Happen program, which is dedicated to reducing accidental injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. is accidental injuries, and nearly nine million children are treated at emergency rooms across the country, with more than 9,000 children dying each year due to accidental injuries

In an effort to help young people involved in the justice system find jobs and housing, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) today announced $1.75 million for Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and nonprofit legal service organizations to address the challenges justice-involved individuals face when trying to find work and a place to call home. The grantees are listed below.

Maintaining a strong focus on safety and reliability, Consumers Energy will spend nearly $225 million this year to upgrade its natural gas system throughout Lower Michigan. “At Consumers Energy we know that safe, reliable delivery of natural gas is a top priority to our customers and our company.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on April 21 unanimously approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill. The THUD Appropriations Subcommittee reported the bill April 19. The full Committee adopted the bill with only minor amendments to the Subcommittee-passed bill, which did not change its HUD program funding levels

Sales of new single-family houses in March 2016 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 511,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau. This is 1.5 percent (±15.0%)* below the revised February rate of 519,000 and is 5.4 percent (±16.0%)* above the March 2015 estimate of 485,000.

CEDIA has announced the panel of judges that will evaluate the home technology professional categories for the 2016 CEDIA Awards. The 2016 Home technology professional awards categories include: home theater, media room, integrated home, marine and aircraft, innovative solution, special project, media room under $25,000, integrated home under $25,000, and showroom.