Yearly Archives: 2016

University of Colorado Boulder Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Kelly Fox has named David Kang as vice chancellor for infrastructure and safety, effective May 16

The American Planning Association (APA) is a national partner in the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) new "Prosperity Playbook" initiative. The initiative will convene regional experts in five locations to identify best practices for supporting economic mobility, expanding housing affordability and increasing access to opportunity-rich neighborhoods, education and jobs.

Sales of newly built, single-family homes dropped 9.2 percent in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 494,000 units, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau

Chaban is the Chief Executive Officer of Princeton Properties, which acquires, builds, renovates, leases and manages apartment communities and corporate furnished apartments. Currently, Princeton Properties owns and manages more than 6,000 apartment homes for rent in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Georgia. Chaban is considered to be one of the foremost industry experts in the field of rehabilitation and management of multifamily rental housing.

AGC will hold its fifth Contractors Environmental Conference (CEC) on October 5-6, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The CEC is a yearly management, leadership and technology-focused conference that zeros in on the most critical environmental issues impacting today’s construction professionals. Past attendees agree that this one-of-a-kind program provides contractors with the information and resources to meet environmental

Saving money just got easier at home and on the go with the introduction of a new website designed to help AARP members take advantage of the many benefits offered to them, including everyday travel, entertainment and dining discounts, and special insurance and financial products

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today at a Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing used her time to ask three questions of particular concern to District of Columbia residents – lead levels in D.C.’s water supply, ground water testing in the Spring Valley neighborhood, and flooding of the National Mall and D.C. neighborhoods.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently released “Using Graywater and Stormwater to Enhance Local Water Supplies: An Assessment of Risks, Costs, and Benefits” (available for free download (link is external)).  The report acknowledges that greywater and stormwater can augment water supplies to improve reliability and extend the capacity of water systems in water-scarce or quickly growing cities, if proven safe

As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to cut energy waste in the nation’s buildings, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today recognized the city of West Palm Beach for their leadership in improving energy efficiency across 1.4 million square feet of building space by 20 percent within 10 years. The city of West Palm Beach has met their Better Buildings Challenge goal of 20 percent energy reduction and today Mayor Jeri Muoio is announcing a new 15 percent energy reduction goal for 2025

Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (CA-34) was joined by Caucus Vice Chairman Joe Crowley (NY-14), Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) for a press conference, following Caucus meeting, to discuss Republicans’ unprecedented Supreme Court obstruction and their fumble on the budget, as well as the Flint water crisis.

The Federal Trade Commission has charged a debt relief operation with falsely representing to financially distressed homeowners and student loan borrowers that it would help get their mortgages and student loans modified. At the FTC’s request, a federal court has temporarily halted the operation. The agency seeks to permanently stop the alleged illegal practices and obtain refunds for affected consumers.

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, asked the Department of the Interior about its commitment to the Yakima River Basin during a hearing on the president’s FY 2017 budget request. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor agreed with Sen. Cantwell that the Yakima River Basin plan “is a model for the rest of the nation in water management.”

Are you an environmental professional working in-house at a construction firm? This spring, AGC is holding a day of roundtable discussions specifically for you and your peers – AGC’s In-House Environmental Managers Meeting. Join us in Denver, CO on April 20, 2016, for a day of information sharing and collaboration. Seating is very limited for this meeting; please don’t wait to act on this exclusive opportunity. Click here (link is external) to register (construction firms only, please)

Nonprofit BRIDGE Housing has created two positions under its new Community Development Initiative, which will leverage its role as an affordable housing developer to partner with and enhance neighborhood institutions and communities, focusing on the social determinants of health that affect residents’ quality of life and long-term outcomes.

The rapid destruction at the Avalon at Edgewater complex last month calls into question the safety of current New Jersey building codes. Fire may be unavoidable, but stricter building codes can reduce building damage and save lives.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached settlements with nine gas stations in Alaska, Oregon and Washington to bring them into compliance with federal laws designed to protect underground sources of drinking water from fuel tanks stored below ground. The gas stations were subject to increased penalties for repeat violations, and some were blocked from receiving fuel shipments for continued non-compliance.

As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) ongoing efforts to boost opportunity in rural communities, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today awarded six low-interest loans to local governments and community organizations that will spur rural economic development in five states. Secretary Vilsack announced the awards at the Legislative Conference of the National Association of Counties during a seminar with the White House Rural Council.

Are you interested in how Continuum of Care (CoC) leadership, CoC Program recipients, and local workforce professionals can more effectively provide employment support for homeless and at-risk job seekers? Check out the new four-part webinar series titled Housing + Employment Works.

The U.S. Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS) has announced the availability of Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program funding of $13 million to provide an estimated 6,000 veterans with job-driven training for in-demand jobs to help them successfully transition from homelessness to sustainable housing and good civilian jobs. Homeless veterans may receive occupational, classroom, and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services.

The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is now accepting applications for its 2016 Executive Energy Leadership Program. NREL's Executive Energy Leadership Program, also known as Energy Execs, provides non-technical business, governmental, and community leaders throughout the country an opportunity to learn about renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, analytical tools,