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Representing a Durham property owner barred from developing his land, Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider a controversial precedent that denies landowners unobstructed access to federal court to defend their constitutional rights.

Top federal and state environmental officials today announced 22 grants totaling more than $1.3 million to local government and community groups in New York and Connecticut to improve the health and ecosystem of Long Island Sound.

U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the Arizona Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) and upheld the agreements codified by the Congressman’s legislation, H.R. 4924 , the Bill Williams Water Rights Settlement Act, Public Law No: 113-223, paving the way for the settlement of certain claims within the Bill Williams River Watershed among the Hualapai Tribe, the United States, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and Freeport-McMoRan

Photovoltaics added value to homes in six markets, according to a new report titled “Appraising into the Sun: Six-State Solar Home Paired-Sales Analysis,” led by a researcher from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and a home appraisal expert. Researchers engaged a team of seven appraisers from across the six states to determine the value that solar photovoltaic (PV) systems added to single-family homes using the industry-standard paired-sales valuation technique, which compares recent sales of comparable homes to estimate the premium buyers would pay for PV.

Governor Charlie Baker today announced a new mortgage program designed to make it easier for Massachusetts veterans to purchase their first home. MassHousing’s Operation Welcome Home loan is available to active duty members of the Armed Forces, members of the Reserves and Massachusetts National Guard, honorably discharged veterans and Gold Star Family members.

To honor Veterans Day, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined the Brighton Marine Health Center Board of Directors to announce that Brighton Marine established a $200,000 endowment to support the Mayor's Homes for the Brave initiative, with the goal of bringing a functional end to veterans homelessness in Boston.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Veterans Homebuyer Accessibility Act, which would provide an $8000 refundable tax credit for specially adaptive housing modifications, and an $8000 first time homebuyer tax credit for all eligible veterans. The bipartisan legislation — introduced in the House by Representatives Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Paul Cook (R-CA) — addresses the delay in disability benefits many veterans are confronted with upon returning to civilian life. The bill would ameliorate the process of purchasing a home and modifying it to accommodate for disabilities

New York Cares is seeking thousands of generous New Yorkers to sign up to grant 42,000 Winter Wishes, a program that helps to provide holiday gifts to underprivileged children, teens, and seniors who otherwise might go without. The deadline for volunteers to sign up is Wednesday, November 25, 2015. In order to grant all Winter Wishes, New York Cares is encouraging organizations and groups of friends to claim multiple requests so that all of our neighbors seeking holiday joy receive it

On the heels of the third anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, the Board of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) recently committed approximately $75 million in federal Sandy recovery funds to create 524 affordable rental apartments in Monmouth and Ocean counties - two of the areas in the state hardest hit by the storm - for low- and middle-income families

Continuing her efforts to ensure proper heating assistance for low-income families and seniors across New Hampshire, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte is urging Senate appropriators to provide additional funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in final fiscal year (FY) 2016 government funding legislation.

Top federal and state environmental officials today announced 22 grants totaling more than $1.3 million to local government and community groups in New York and Connecticut to improve the health and ecosystem of Long Island Sound.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro joined Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in Alexandria, VA to announce a proposed rule to make the nation’s public housing propertiesentirely smoke-free. HUD’s proposed rule would require more than 3,100 public housing agencies (PHAs) across the country to implement smoke-free policies in their developments within 18 months of the final rule.

An Appraisal Institute member specializing in valuation of green homes has produced a study released today by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that found homes with host-owned solar photovoltaic energy systems are sold at a premium compared to homes without PV systems.

Approximately 1,153 Consumers Energy electric customers are currently affected by an electric interruption caused by a high voltage transformer bank failure at the utility’s North Adams substation. Electric restoration to affected customers is expected by 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 11.

NAHB First Vice Chairman Ed Brady will also moderate a special Capitol Hill Spotlight Session on Thursday, Nov. 19, where show goers can hear from staffers from Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) offices as they discuss the variety of green building legislation under consideration.

Members and allies of National People’s Action (NPA) from Detroit, MI, Chicago, IL and Buffalo, NY traveled to Pittsburgh, PA to give testimony at the first of four Environmental Protection Agency hearings on the Federal Implementation Plan proposed as part of the Clean Power Plan (CPP). The new rule sets the first ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants. While applauding the plan, NPA leaders are calling on the EPA to go even further to ensure equity for those most impacted by the dirty energy economy and the climate crisis by protecting low income communities and communities of color from pollution and expanding access to renewables and clean energy jobs for those communities

Impact100 Garden State, a Morristown- based women’s philanthropic organization, awarded over $200,000 in grants to the Head Start Community Program of Morris County and the New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC) to support programs that help the elderly poor, disenfranchised young adults, and pre-school children from low-income families. Impact 100’s 204 members voted to award each organization a $102,000 grant at its annual members meeting on November 4 at the Olde Mill Inn in Basking Ridge. The organizations were selected from over 75 nonprofit applicants.

The Atlanta Board of REALTORS® (ABR), the largest association of its kind in Georgia, released its October 2015 Market Brief on residential housing statistics for 11 area counties in metro-Atlanta. Market Brief, now compiled by First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS), provides the only regionally focused synopsis of monthly sales and home prices for single family residential properties.

The Apache Stronghold is a community association dedicated to ending the theft of native lands, specifically the theft of the sacred Oak Flat lands in Arizona. The Stronghold has been occupying the Oak Flat campground since February 2015. To hear more about their struggle and efforts please join us on November 21st and 22nd for the For the Community Festival!

ARCO / Murray Construction Company is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the construction for the La Chiquita tortilla production and distribution facility located in Orlando, Florida. The 80,000 square foot project will consist of renovating an existing warehouse to accommodate a production area, freezer, cold dock, and office space.