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In accordance with the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, HUD published a Notice in the July 29, 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 Arkansas, Florida, and Texas

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that the Springfield Housing Authority in Springfield, MA, has entered into agreements settling allegations of housing discrimination based on disability. The allegations involved an 82-year-old deaf housing authority resident who allegedly did not receive the same access to communications as individuals without disabilities, as required by the Fair Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Read the Conciliation and Voluntary Compliance agreements.

The challenges and opportunities associated with creating effective public-private partnerships in the current economic environment are explored in Successful Public-Private Partnerships: From Principles to Practice, a new publication from the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, has implemented new strategic initiatives that seek to advance diversity in commercial real estate by leveraging NAIOP’s network, embracing companies’ values and engaging the interests of those typically under-represented in the industry

A new wave of predatory real estate lending, previously peddled to African-Americans during the 1930s to 1960s, is popping up across the nation as Wall Street investment companies move to profit off foreclosed homes, according to a new report by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). Toxic Transactions: How Land Installment Contracts Once Again Threaten Communities of Color details how land contracts are marketed disproportionately to low-income families of color as an alternative path to homeownership but instead allow investors to avoid responsibility for property upkeep while churning successive would-be homeowners through a property they could not legally rent.

Construction employment increased in 39 states between June 2015 and June 2016, although half the states shed construction jobs between May and June, according to analysis of Labor Department data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the flattening of monthly employment gains and losses indicates the urgency of beefing up programs to attract, train and retain construction workers.

Pending home sales were mostly unmoved in June, but did creep slightly higher as supply and affordability constraints prevented a bigger boost in activity from mortgage rates that lingered near all-time lows through most of the month, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Increases in the Northeast and Midwest were offset by declines in the South and West.

An overwhelming four-out-of-five Americans believe that owning a home is a good investment, according to a recent poll commissioned by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) to gauge public sentiment on the value of homeownership and government programs that encourage homeownership and housing production. A nationwide survey of more than 2,800 registered voters was conducted July 22-24 by the polling firm Morning Consult.

Fifty-five New York City elected officials have signed an open letter to developer Charles Dayan, new owner of the Hamilton at 1735 York Avenue, calling on him to restore the middle class jobs at the building where workers have had their jobs for decades

WSSC today announced that HomeServe USA (HomeServe) will offer its customers home pipe repair service plans. The 450,000 WSSC residential customers in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties will be offered optional water service line repair plans, as well as sewer line and in-home plumbing plans through HomeServe

Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 3.5 percent in June from an upwardly revised May reading to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 592,000 units, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. New home sales are up 9.3 percent in the second quarter of 2016 from the first quarter.

Seismic isolation is perhaps the most effective method available for protecting structures from earthquake damage. The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for Buildings and Other Structures contain updated requirements for the design and testing of seismic isolation systems and the design of isolated superstructures.

On July 21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service (RHS) released data on the agency's single-family, multifamily, and community facilities programs. RHS also demonstrated how the data can be accessed via a new interactive visualization tool, created by PolicyMap, designed to make the data publicly attainable and more useful.

U.S. wind industry activity approached record levels in the second quarter as utilities and other purchasers locked in record low wind costs. Over 18,200 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity are now under construction or in advanced stages of development, according to the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) U.S. Wind Industry Second Quarter 2016 Market Report. R

A new workshop, sponsored by the National Institute of Building Sciences, answers the question of what to do when building control systems have been hacked or taken over by ransomware. Intended for building owners, facility managers, engineering, physical security, information assurance and other professionals involved with the design, deployment and operation of building control systems, the “Your Building Control Systems Have Been Hacked, Now What? Workshop,” to be held Tuesday, October 4, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, in Arlington, Virginia, will provide a combination of classroom learning modules and hands-on laboratory exercises to help attendees learn how to detect, contain, eradicate and recover from a cyber event.

Solar is the fastest-growing source of energy in America. Large scale solar projects in need of acres of land are expanding rapidly throughout the U.S., producing clean, affordable, reliable electricity, and providing farmers and other landowners with unique revenue-generating opportuniti

On July 20th the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) ensured that affordable housing will remain in Ward 4’s Brightwood neighborhood by financing the acquisition and rehabilitation of Homestead Apartments (812 Jefferson Street, NW). The Agency issued $6.5 million in DCHFA Bonds ($1.49 million short term and $4.6 million long term) for the complete renovation of this 55 unit building

Habitat for Humanity, as the lead representative of civil society organizations, will join world leaders this week for the third and final session of the Preparatory Committee, or PrepCom 3, for Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. Habitat for Humanity has played an integral role throughout the development of the New Urban Agenda, an outcome document that will define the UN’s global urban strategy for the next 20 years. As negotiations take place this week, Habitat aims to influence policymakers to take an informed and effective approach to the growing challenge of urbanization

Wayfair, an online destination for home furnishings and decor, and Habitat for Humanity International today announced the renewal of their global partnership to help build and rehabilitate affordable homes. The Wayfair partnership has contributed nearly $1 million over the past four years to Habitat, which works alongside homeowners to build or improve a place they can call home. Entering its fifth year as a Habitat for Humanity partner, Wayfair will continue to provide fundraising, product donations and volunteer mobilization to help families build strength, stability and self-reliance.