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With 30 days to go before world leaders convene under the United Nations banner to negotiate a new global agreement to combat climate change, Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings have joined the Mayors’ National Climate Action Agenda (MNCAA), bringing the total to 32 mayors and cities across the United States

The Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Division of Fire Safety is reminding residents that the end of Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, November 1, 2015, is a good time to check and change the batteries in all household smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Agriculture Committees, today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development has awarded $50,000 to the Red River Regional Council through its Housing Preservation Grant Program. The funds will be used to assist 15 low-income homeowners in making needed repairs to their homes in Pembina County.

the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senator Patty Murray’s bill, the Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act. The bill would prevent a VA policy from taking effect that would overturn the way homeless veterans have been helped for more than 20 years, by barring homeless services for veterans who served fewer than two years continuously, or certain veterans who had less than an honorable discharge. Before the bill passed, Sen. Murray spoke on the Senate floor.

As part of an ongoing widespread investigation into wage theft at public works projects in New York City, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark G. Peters today announced the conviction and sentencing of Jagdish Singh and Navico B & S Construction Corp. (Navico) for underpaying wages and benefits to 5 workers at a publicly-funded New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) construction project in Queens by requiring wage kickbacks from employees.

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (“TDHCA”) has allocated $63.5 million in tax credits to private developers competing in the 2015 Housing Tax Credit Program. Because the credits may be used over a 10-year period, these awards will generate close to $635 million in equity financing for 64 affordable rental properties

Scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have demonstrated a way to significantly increase the efficiency of perovskite solar cells by reducing the amount of energy lost to heat

The Justice Department announced today that a federal district court has approved a supplemental consent decree between the United States, the Maryland Disability Law Center and the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC). The original consent decree contained remedies for HABC’s failure to provide accessible housing to persons with disabilities. The supplemental consent decree, which was approved today by U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz of the District of Maryland, continues and amends certain terms in the original consent order in United States v. HABC, and Bailey v. HABC, entered on Dec. 20, 2004

Saudi Arabia is witnessing a phenomenal expansion and development program. Upcoming mega-projects such as King Abdullah Economic City, Kingdom City and Jazan Economic City are well underway and positively impacting the local interiors market. Saudi Arabia have attracted international acclaim for undertaking the world’s largest investments across building up of its educational sector and upgrading healthcare facilities, also pointing to the massive opportunity for the furniture markets that lies in these segments.

Holmes Murphy and Associates recently welcomed seven new personnel to the Property Casualty division of its Kansas City office, enhancing the expertise already provided to clients.

The Bayou Cane Apartments located on Synergy Center Boulevard in Houma add 82 newly-constructed apartment homes to the community. The four-acre landscaped site features five, two- and three-story garden-style apartment buildings, a playground, community center, dog park, on-site parking and a nature trail

Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) is pleased to announce that John F. Mealey, Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) Executive Director, is the recipient of the 2015 Bill French Award. RCAC is recognizing Mealey’s more than 30 years of service in California’s Coachella Valley to bring affordable housing to thousands of low- and very low-income families. From a $10,000 seed money grant from the Aetna Foundation, Mealey directed CVHC’s growth to its current value of about $550 million

The 2nd Quarter Preliminary Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Bills are due Monday, November 2nd. The Scituate Town Hall regular business hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30am-4:45pm, and Tuesdays, 8:30am-7:30pm. Bills were mailed June 30th with payment coupons for both the 1st and 2nd Quarters.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal, Yonkers and State officials and community leaders joined The Community Builders, Inc., to cut the ribbon for Schoolhouse Terrace Apartments in Southwest Yonkers. It is the first development in a planned six-phase neighborhood revitalization project funded through the Governor’s Regional Economic Development Council and New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR)

Gov. Terry Branstad announced the designation of three counties in northwest Iowa as Home Base Iowa Communities, the Administration’s focused effort to attract veterans to Iowa while providing them with great career opportunities and other benefits. In ceremonies held yesterday, the Governor joined community leaders in O’Brien County and Lyon County to recognize their efforts to become Home Base Iowa Communities

U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Reps. John Larson (D-1), Joe Courtney (D-2), Rosa DeLauro (D-3), and Elizabeth Esty (D-5)announced today that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $836,688 to Connecticut rural small businesses and agricultural producers through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to help reduce energy usage and costs in their operations.

A newly designed website now makes the Community Investment Tax Credit program more accessible to individuals and businesses who want to contribute to revitalization projects in Maryland neighborhoods.

A real estate attorney pleaded guilty today to participating in a far-reaching scheme to defraud banks and mortgage companies as part of a conspiracy involving sham “short” sales of numerous residential properties in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts.

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Housing has awarded the Robert C. Larson Workforce Housing Policy Award to the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority’s (CHFA) Small Multifamily Rental Development Strategy. The award recognizes exemplary state and local programs, policies, and practices that support the production, rehabilitation, or preservation of affordable and workforce housing. The Palm Beach County Workforce Housing Program also received the Larson Award.

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today issued the Community Resilience Planning Guide for Buildings and Infrastructure Systems to help U.S. communities better withstand and rebound from the shocks of severe weather, earthquakes and other hazards.