Yearly Archives: 2017

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded 27 new contracts to small businesses for its Phase II Building Maintenance and Operations (BMO) Best-in-Class (BIC) strategic sourcing solution. This multiple award solution gives government agencies a more streamlined process for acquiring facility maintenance and operations services, including electrical maintenance, janitorial, landscaping, fire alarm and suppression system maintenance, commissioning and more

In an effort to prevent and effectively end homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is making $2 billion available to support thousands of local homeless assistance programs nationwide. Funded through the Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Assistance Program, HUD’s funding notice continues to encourage local applicants to use a Housing First approach to help individuals and families move quickly into permanent housing

Calmwater Capital, a leading, national direct real estate lender, has originated a $36.7 million loan for Remington Nevada to refinance existing debt and finance remaining construction of the Mountains Edge Marketplace in southwest Las Vegas. Once completed, the 101,000-square-foot retail property, anchored by Albertsons, will be located at the corner of Blue Diamond Road and South Buffalo Drive, adjacent to the Mountains Edge master planned community.

EPA has given a grade of "B" for water quality in the Charles River during 2016. This is a slight reduction from the "B+" grade awarded for water quality in the Charles during 2015.

Mortgage applications decreased 7.4 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 7, 2017. This week's results include an adjustment for the Fourth of July holiday.

During several award ceremonies across the country in July, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will honor exemplary facilities, employees and civilian providers working to address Veteran homelessness.

The Teamsters Union denounced the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) Appropriations Subcommittee’s attack on highway safety and infrastructure investment during its mark-up of the 2018 funding proposal. While eliminating important funding for infrastructure improvement, the subcommittee compromised the very highway safety programs the bill funds by inserting provisions that would increase driver fatigue, if enacted

The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on federal offshore oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Panel members discussed the benefits of expanding access to the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and Alaska for coastal communities, job creation nationally, and increased revenues for both states and the U.S. Treasury.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host a special webinar to address the newest ground motion requirements of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)/Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) standard, ASCE 7-16: Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the free webinar, “New Site-Specific Ground Motion Requirements of ASCE 7-16,” is scheduled for Friday, July 28, 2017, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET (11:00 am to 12:00 pm PT).

Coalition to Save Local Businesses Executive Director Michael Layman released the below statement on today’s House Education and the Workforce full committee hearing exploring the impact of the NLRB’s expanded joint employer standard

The Alliance to Save Energy on Wednesday called on lawmakers to reject a proposed House Energy and Water Appropriations bill that would cut federal energy efficiency programs by nearly 50 percent. The bill is slated for a vote in the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday morning

The Department of Energy announced $46.2 million for 48 projects as part of its SunShot Initiative. These projects are intended to develop innovative, early-stage solar power technologies, which are aimed at lowering costs and improving reliability and efficiency.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) today announced that four model programs around the nation are recipients of the HUD Secretary's Award for Healthy Homes, an award recognizing excellence in making indoor environments healthier through healthy homes. For the third consecutive year, HUD and NEHA identified outstanding local programs that promote healthier housing through

According to the National Association of Realtors®’ 2017 National Housing Pulse Survey, concerns over housing affordability show clear demographic divides especially among unmarried and non-white Americans. More than five out of 10 unmarried and non-white Americans view the lack of available affordable housing as a big problem, compared to only 40 percent of married and white Americans.

REach®, the growth technology accelerator operated by the National Association of Realtors®’ strategic investment arm, Second Century Ventures, was recently named among the top 30 accelerators in the U.S. by the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project, or SARP.

The Appraisal Institute, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers, today announced it has – for the first time – bestowed its residential review designation to a previously non-Designated member.

The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released Norton’s testimony on her amendment to the fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2810) to give the District of Columbia home-rule authority over the D.C. National Guard. Norton filed her amendment at the House Rules Committee, which is considering H.R. 2810 tomorrow.

The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) and the Delaware State Bar Association are partnering once again to present the Delaware “Views from the Bankruptcy Bench” program on Sept. 13. Featuring the perspectives of judges of the Delaware bankruptcy bench and leading bankruptcy practitioners, the program will take place at the historic Hotel du Pont in downtown Wilmington.

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has confirmed the technical and economic viability of integrating 175 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy into India's grid by 2022.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that the Department's Mortgagee Review Board (MRB) is immediately suspending Pennsylvania-based mortgage lender Seckel Capital, LLC from originating and underwriting new mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). In addition, HUD's Departmental Enforcement Center suspended owner John Seckel from doing business with the Federal government