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On February 23, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued regulations amending the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit) compliance monitoring requirements to revise and clarify physical inspection and certification review rules. In conjunction with the new regulations, IRS published Revenue Procedure 2016-15, which further explains the implementation of the new regulations. The compliance monitoring regulations will be effective upon formal publication in the Federal Register on February 25

AGC will hold its fifth Contractors Environmental Conference (CEC) on October 5-6, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The CEC is a yearly management, leadership and technology-focused conference that zeros in on the most critical environmental issues impacting today’s construction professionals. Past attendees agree that this one-of-a-kind program provides contractors with the information and resources to meet environmental

Saving money just got easier at home and on the go with the introduction of a new website designed to help AARP members take advantage of the many benefits offered to them, including everyday travel, entertainment and dining discounts, and special insurance and financial products

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently released “Using Graywater and Stormwater to Enhance Local Water Supplies: An Assessment of Risks, Costs, and Benefits” (available for free download (link is external)).  The report acknowledges that greywater and stormwater can augment water supplies to improve reliability and extend the capacity of water systems in water-scarce or quickly growing cities, if proven safe

Are you an environmental professional working in-house at a construction firm? This spring, AGC is holding a day of roundtable discussions specifically for you and your peers – AGC’s In-House Environmental Managers Meeting. Join us in Denver, CO on April 20, 2016, for a day of information sharing and collaboration. Seating is very limited for this meeting; please don’t wait to act on this exclusive opportunity. Click here (link is external) to register (construction firms only, please)

Nonprofit BRIDGE Housing has created two positions under its new Community Development Initiative, which will leverage its role as an affordable housing developer to partner with and enhance neighborhood institutions and communities, focusing on the social determinants of health that affect residents’ quality of life and long-term outcomes.

The rapid destruction at the Avalon at Edgewater complex last month calls into question the safety of current New Jersey building codes. Fire may be unavoidable, but stricter building codes can reduce building damage and save lives.

Are you interested in how Continuum of Care (CoC) leadership, CoC Program recipients, and local workforce professionals can more effectively provide employment support for homeless and at-risk job seekers? Check out the new four-part webinar series titled Housing + Employment Works.

The U.S. Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS) has announced the availability of Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program funding of $13 million to provide an estimated 6,000 veterans with job-driven training for in-demand jobs to help them successfully transition from homelessness to sustainable housing and good civilian jobs. Homeless veterans may receive occupational, classroom, and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services.

Existing-home sales crept forward in January to the highest annual rate in six months, and subpar supply levels propelled price growth to the fastest increase since last April, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The West was the only region to see a decline in sales in January.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host a free webinar Tuesday, March 22, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EDT, to present updates to site factors in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program's (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions and ASCE/SEI 7-16, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures

A host of legal challenges have been filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule to tighten its ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) from 75 parts per billion (ppb) down to 70 ppb.  A coalition of groups representing various industries are faulting what they say is EPA’s inadequate consideration of naturally occurring “background” ozone levels (ozone formed from sources or processes other than U.S. man-made emissions ) that might hamper states’ ability to attain the agency's tighter limit.

A recently released Presidential Memorandum (link is external) speaks to how federal agencies should, in their environmental reviews and permitting, address impacts on natural resources caused by construction and development – a process called “mitigation.”  The new policy broadens the federal government's 26-year-old “no net loss” wetlands policy by expanding that concept to any natural resource and encouraging agencies to replace those resources even before construction begins

ConsensusDocs is publishing free, new commentary to the ConsensusDocs 300 Standard Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Agreement that includes a number of significant tools and extensive commentary for implementing the IPD contracting method. Released in January 2016, the updated ConsensusDocs IPD agreement helps parties incorporate IPD and Lean processes contractually. One of the signature components of IPD contracting is providing a risk/reward compensation approach

The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency joined Sacramento City officials on Thursday February 11 to celebrate the grand opening the Viva Supermarket– the first full-service grocery store to come to the Del Paso Heights community in the Promise Zone in 30 years.

The apartment industry is off and running this year. We are building on the momentum from our tremendous success in 2015. So we wanted to take a moment to look back at last year’s key accomplishments and what they mean for the industry.

Mayor Michael B. Hancock today announced that the City and County of Denver is partnering with the Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use to attract new development to West Colfax that will support West Denver residents and businesses and enhance the unique vibrancy in the corridor. The Rose Center is jointly operated by the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

A wide-range of multifamily focused building codes that will be included in the International Code Council’s (ICC) 2018 edition opened for Online Voting on February 8. NMHC/NAA provided detailed recommendations on codes related to fire safety, emergency exits, building accessibility and much more. Building codes and industry standards have an important role in the apartment sector by establishing minimum requirements for the design, construction, alteration and maintenance of apartment buildings

Hundreds of Consumers Energy employees are helping Michigan families stay warm this winter by taking part in over 30 Walks for Warmth across the state.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host a free webinar Tuesday, March 22, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EDT, to present updates to site factors in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program’s (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions and ASCE/SEI 7-16, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. The presentation will address the changes to site coefficients in Chapter 11: Seismic Design Criteria, Section 11.4.3 and the revisions to Chapter 21: Site Specific Ground Motion Procedures for Seismic Design, Section 21.4 that affected the final version of those coefficients