Yearly Archives: 2016

Existing-home sales crept forward in January to the highest annual rate in six months, and subpar supply levels propelled price growth to the fastest increase since last April, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The West was the only region to see a decline in sales in January.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host a free webinar Tuesday, March 22, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EDT, to present updates to site factors in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program's (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions and ASCE/SEI 7-16, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) attended the House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee’s hearing on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan today. House Democrats heard testimony on the ongoing emergency from public health experts and local officials. Below is a transcript of his remarks at the hearing, including the question he posed to Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Director of the Pediatric Residency Program at Hurley Medical Center

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that requires the Environmental Protection Agency to disclose to the public anytime it uncovers evidence of serious lead pollution

A host of legal challenges have been filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule to tighten its ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) from 75 parts per billion (ppb) down to 70 ppb.  A coalition of groups representing various industries are faulting what they say is EPA’s inadequate consideration of naturally occurring “background” ozone levels (ozone formed from sources or processes other than U.S. man-made emissions ) that might hamper states’ ability to attain the agency's tighter limit.

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan “The drinking water crisis affecting Flint, Michigan, is a direct result of Republican policies to prioritize budget savings over the common good. Moreover, it is a tragic example of the broader failure to invest in public health and consumer safety, particularly as our country’s water systems age and require replacement.

Taiwan-based computer hardware maker ASUSTeK Computer, Inc. has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that critical security flaws in its routers put the home networks of hundreds of thousands of consumers at risk. The administrative complaint also charges that the routers’ insecure “cloud” services led to the compromise of thousands of consumers’ connected storage devices, exposing their sensitive personal information on the internet.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released her letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy and District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) General Manager George Hawkins asking for an update on the status of lead levels in D.C.’s water supply given the ongoing lead contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan, where Norton will travel next month as part of a congressional delegation.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today it has selected four student teams from universities across the country as the finalists in the Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition, a competition that seeks to encourage research and innovation in the areas of affordable housing design and planning. In April, one team from among these graduate student finalists will be chosen as the overall winner for having the best solution to redevelop the Monteria Village public housing development in Santa Barbara, California.

A recently released Presidential Memorandum (link is external) speaks to how federal agencies should, in their environmental reviews and permitting, address impacts on natural resources caused by construction and development – a process called “mitigation.”  The new policy broadens the federal government's 26-year-old “no net loss” wetlands policy by expanding that concept to any natural resource and encouraging agencies to replace those resources even before construction begins

18F, the team of digital technology consultants housed within the General Services Administration, today announced plans to expand its consulting and acquisition services to assist federal agencies that provide grants to state and local programs. Since its launch in March 2014, 18F has grown from 15 to 165 people and helps federal agencies build, buy, and share efficient and easy-to-use digital services. 18F will partner with federal agencies providing grants to state and local programs to offer them the same best practices of human-centered, agile, and modular design.

ConsensusDocs is publishing free, new commentary to the ConsensusDocs 300 Standard Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Agreement that includes a number of significant tools and extensive commentary for implementing the IPD contracting method. Released in January 2016, the updated ConsensusDocs IPD agreement helps parties incorporate IPD and Lean processes contractually. One of the signature components of IPD contracting is providing a risk/reward compensation approach

The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency joined Sacramento City officials on Thursday February 11 to celebrate the grand opening the Viva Supermarket– the first full-service grocery store to come to the Del Paso Heights community in the Promise Zone in 30 years.

The apartment industry is off and running this year. We are building on the momentum from our tremendous success in 2015. So we wanted to take a moment to look back at last year’s key accomplishments and what they mean for the industry.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is immediately taking possession of the Alexander County (IL) Housing Authority (ACHA). HUD is taking this action following a years-long pattern of financial and operational mismanagement, poor housing conditions, and alleged civil rights violations against the households the local housing authority was responsible for assisting

Mayor Michael B. Hancock today announced that the City and County of Denver is partnering with the Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use to attract new development to West Colfax that will support West Denver residents and businesses and enhance the unique vibrancy in the corridor. The Rose Center is jointly operated by the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Canada’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna today announced that Canada and the U.S. have adopted targets to reduce phosphorus entering affected areas of Lake Erie by 40 percent. The targets announced today will minimize the extent of low oxygen “dead zones” in the central basin of Lake Erie; maintain algae growth at a level consistent with healthy aquatic ecosystems; and maintain algae biomass at levels that do not produce toxins that pose a threat to human or ecosystem health.

The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) today released new analysis exploring the potential impact of recently extended federal tax credits on the deployment of renewable generation technologies and related U.S. electric sector carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

A wide-range of multifamily focused building codes that will be included in the International Code Council’s (ICC) 2018 edition opened for Online Voting on February 8. NMHC/NAA provided detailed recommendations on codes related to fire safety, emergency exits, building accessibility and much more. Building codes and industry standards have an important role in the apartment sector by establishing minimum requirements for the design, construction, alteration and maintenance of apartment buildings

Hundreds of Consumers Energy employees are helping Michigan families stay warm this winter by taking part in over 30 Walks for Warmth across the state.