Yearly Archives: 2016

Keeping the Northern Mariana Islands free of invasive species of plants and animals and helping us get rid of those that have already infested our islands is an important responsibility of the federal government.

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. The presentation will address the changes to site coefficients in Chapter 11: Seismic Design Criteria, Section 11.4.3 and the revisions to Chapter 21: Site Specific Ground Motion Procedures for Seismic Design, Section 21.4 that affected the final version of those coefficients

Hunt Mortgage Group, a leader in financing commercial real estate throughout the United States, announced today that it has refinanced six multifamily properties under the Freddie Mac small balance loan program. The properties are located is various cities and the total funding by Hunt Mortgage Group is $11.5 million.

Seven low-income families in the St. Tammany West area of Louisiana will now have an affordable place to call "home," thanks in part to a $45,500 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant from Home Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas). Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West (HFHSTW) received the grant in 2015, which was used to assist HFHSTW families with their down payments. The homes are currently under construction and will be completed this year.

In accordance with the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, HUD published a Notice in the Feb. 19, 2016, Federal Register identifying Federal buildings and other real property HUD has reviewed for suitability for use to assist the homeless. The properties were reviewed using information provided to HUD by Federal landholding agencies or by GSA regarding their inventories of excess or surplus property. The list includes buildings and properties in Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced it is making $40 million in grants available to support hundreds of housing counseling organizations across the country that assist families, including those buying their first home, struggling to locate affordable rental housing or seeking to avoid foreclosure. 

Each year, CHAPA travels across Massachusetts to meet with housing professionals, advocates, community members, elected officials, and other stakeholders that want to expand access to safe, quality, and affordable housing

Today, in response to Federal Housing Finance Agency Director (FHFA) Mel Watt’s remarks at the Bipartisan Policy Center regarding the conservatorship of the government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s President and CEO John Taylor made the following statement

Housing Development Center is extremely pleased to announce that Joni Hartmann has joined our staff in the dual role of HDC Community Fund Executive Director and HDC Deputy Director. As HDC Community Fund Executive Director, Joni will be responsible for our lending activities, working directly with both funders and borrowers

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released DWMAPS – the Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters. This robust, online mapping tool provides the public, water system operators, state programs, and federal agencies with critical information to help them safeguard the sources of America’s drinking water

Two recent studies are highlighting the economics of home sharing services like Airbnb and HomeAway. The first study is from Airbnb and details, in part, how its services benefit cities and communities nationwide. But the second study from PennState entitled, “From Air Mattresses to Unregulated Business: An Analysis of the Other Side of Airbnb,” finds that multiple-unit operators and full-time operators are a growing percentage of total Airbnb hosts.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released DWMAPS – the Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters. This robust, online mapping tool provides the public, water system operators, state programs, and federal agencies with critical information to help them safeguard the sources of America’s drinking water.

Michael Gables is not a big coffee drinker, but one of the first things he bought when he moved into his new apartment was a coffeepot from a church rummage sale.

Consumers Energy is reminding Michigan residents that heating bill assistance may be as close as the pen you hold in your hand, and encourages those eligible to complete the Michigan Home Heating Credit and federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

The Boulder Group, a net leased investment brokerage firm, has completed the sale of a single tenant net leased Jiffy Lube property located at 660 North Grandstaff Drive in Auburn, IN for $594,110.

More and more building owners, including federal agencies, are using “smart” systems to improve the functionality of their facilities. These new systems can improve functionality and make it easier to maintain and operate the building. Yet, at the same time they can also expose the building to potential threats from hackers and others with malicious intent

U.S. Forest Service Removes Vast Majority of Parcels From April 20 Lease Sale DALLAS - The U.S. Forest Service today withdrew 31,169 acres of national forest lands in Texas from a Bureau of Land Management fossil fuel auction slated for April 20 in Santa Fe, N.M. The move responds to concerns raised by environmental groups and local governments about fracking impacts, and comes one day before the Friday public protest deadline on the lease-sale plan

Presidential candidate Secretary Hillary Clinton on February 12 released her “Economic Revitalization Initiative,” which includes a number of housing-related policy proposals she would support should she be elected president. The plan envisions an investment of $25 billion in various initiatives supporting community revitalization, connecting high-poverty neighborhoods to opportunity, removing barriers to homeownership, and increasing the supply of rental housing.

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to provide grants to two health centers in Flint, Michigan for additional lead testing and other services

Consumers Energy and its employees continued their strong record of contributing to Michigan’s nonprofit organizations in 2015, giving their time and money to support early childhood education, United Ways, Habitat for Humanity affiliates and other groups that are strengthening communities across the state