Housing & Development

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it is issuing a proposed rule that would formalize standards for victims of harassment in housing to bring claims under the Fair Housing Act. The proposed rule, "Quid Pro Quo and Hostile Environment Harassment and Liability for Discriminatory Housing Practices under the Fair Housing Act," was published in the Federal Register today for public comment.

The General Services Administration (GSA) released two Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Building Maintenance and Operations (BMO) strategic sourcing solution. These RFPs will result in two multiple-award, governmentwide contract vehicles (BMO Unrestricted and BMO Small Business) supporting the strategic sourcing initiative to reduce costs and drive efficient purchasing by federal agencies

As part of the Financial Services Committee’s year-long examination of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during its 50th anniversary year, the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee held a hearing today to examine how the federal government can better provide housing assistance in the 21st century and serve the housing needs of low-income individuals and families.

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s Development Finance Institution, today signed an agreement recognizing a $15 million commitment by OPIC to finance Txtlight Power Solutions, Ltd. doing business as Nova-Lumos (Lumos), an off-grid electricity provider, to scale up a business that provides solar electricity to homes and small business throughout Nigeria. The signing was part of Secretary John Kerry’s Climate and Clean Energy Investment Forum.

Newport’s Bluffside Farm will be the focus of a new farmland conservation and public access project, the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) announced today.Based on a show of interest and support from the residents of the City of Newport at a public meeting on September 14, 2015, VLT has negotiated a Purchase and Sales contract for the 129-acre property ahead of the scheduled October 23 foreclosure auction.

The City of Hammond, Louisiana is the newest beneficiary of a $90,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and member institution Whitney Bank

Lincoln and Lancaster County residents are encouraged to clean out unwanted chemicals by bringing their household hazardous waste to a collection event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, October 24 at Woods Park, 31st & J St. This event is sponsored by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department

Win, one of the largest nonprofits serving homeless women and their families in New York City, was joined today by New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Vicki Been, New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Gary Rodney, and partners to break ground on a new affordable housing development in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood.

National award-winning KTGY Architecture + Planning is pleased to announce that Legacy Partners Residential has received city approval for the development of University Village 2.0, a new $60+ million mixed-use 775-bed student housing community in Tempe, Arizona. Located just minutes away Arizona State University (ASU), shopping and dining, and directly adjacent to Tempe's light rail line, the new development will replace a 1960s-era student housing complex, which will be demolished. KTGY is the project’s designer and architect.

The percentage of home buyers who can afford to purchase a median-priced home in California is declining. The sharp increase in housing demand has led to skyrocketing home prices, shutting out a large percentage of the potential home buyers. The latest California Association of REALTORS® housing affordability report indicates every region in the state, except Kings County, posted lower affordability in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter

Peoples’ Self-Help Housing cut the ribbon on its 45th affordable project, Casas de las Flores, on Thursday Oct. 15 during a ceremony celebrating completion of the long-awaited, 43-unit complex at 4096 Via Real.

Peoples’ Self-Help Housing is proud to announce the honorary co-chairs for its 45th Anniversary gala dinner and auction, the Central Coast Taste of Hope, to be held Nov. 13. Husband and wife David and Alyce Boyd, and husband and wife Richard and Karen Schloss Heimberg will serve as honorary co-chairs for the special event at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum in celebration of PSHH providing affordable housing on the Central Coast for 45 years.

the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure introduced a 6-year highway reauthorization bill, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, which includes a Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) provision authored by Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) to assist with the advancement of V2I technologies that improve road safety

The National Institute of Building Sciences is seeking qualified scientific and technical professionals from the public, private and academic sectors to serve on Scientific Resolution Panels (SRPs) responsible for recommending to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resolutions to community challenges to FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program flood maps.

To help prepare your home for the winter weather, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers has provided home maintenance tips that are designed to increase energy-efficiency and decrease the chance of emergency repairs.

Led by a jump in multifamily production, nationwide housing starts increased 6.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.206 million units in September from an upwardly revised August reading, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department. Multifamily starts rose 18.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 466,000 units while single-family production edged up 0.3 percent to 740,000 units.

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) today announced its 2015 class of LEED Fellows. This year’s 35 Fellows are being honored for their outstanding work as LEED professionals and for the significance of their contributions to the green building community at large. The LEED Fellow designates the most exceptional professionals in the green building industry, and it is the most prestigious designation awarded from GBCI

Charles M. Oberly, III, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Damien Piper, age 34, of Wilmington, Delaware, pled guilty today to violations of 18 U.S.C. § 666 (Theft of Public Funds). Piper, who will be sentenced on February 2, 2016, by the Honorable Gregory M. Sleet, United States District Judge for the District of Delaware, faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its annual Green Power Leadership Awards. The Tucson Unified School District was among 25 businesses and organizations across 13 states that were recognized for their achievements in advancing the nation’s renewable energy market.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its annual Green Power Leadership Awards to seven businesses across California. The firms were among 25 businesses and organizations across 13 states recognized for their achievements in advancing the nation’s renewable energy market and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change