Homeowners

June 10, 2009 -- Earthtronics, an energy efficiency and technology company, is offering a rooftop wind turbine for sale to homeowners. The turbine, produced by Honeywell, is said to operate across a wider range of wind speed than traditional wind turbines, making it suitable for home rooftop installation.    » read more »

Acting Surgeon General Issues ‘Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes’

June 9, 2009 -- Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., today issued The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes at a press conference from the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. The Call to Action looks at the ways housing can affect health; its release will initiate a national dialogue about the importance of healthy homes.

“The home is the centerpiece of American life,” Galson, a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, said during today’s press conference. “We can prevent many diseases and injuries that result from health hazards in the home by following the simple steps outlined in this Call to Action.”    » read more »

Energy Efficiency Provisions Will Create 650,000 Jobs by 2030

June 9, 2009 -- Washington, D.C.—The federal energy efficiency provisions included in H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, could save approximately $750 per household by 2020 and $3,900 per household by 2030, according to a preliminary analysis by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The bill provides an important step forward in addressing climate change through energy efficiency and other means of reducing heat-trapping greenhouse gases.    » read more »

More than 10,000 complaints filed last year, most alleging disability discrimination

June 9, 2009 --
WASHINGTON - A record 10,552 fair housing discrimination complaints were filed in fiscal year 2008, according to a report just released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The report, which is produced for Congress each year, shows that a large portion of the complaints, 44 percent, were filed by persons with disabilities. Thirty-five percent, or 3,699, of the complaints alleged discrimination based on race.

To read the annual State of Fair Housing report, visit HUD’s website.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2009 - Today, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) rolled out their national media campaign to fight foreclosures and discrimination.

NFHA and HUD have partnered to create a national media campaign that informs consumers about alternatives to foreclosure, how to avoid predatory loan terms and how to recognize and report rental discrimination. NFHA's members nationwide, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and other groups will assist with distributing the materials.    » read more »

Recovery Act funding for Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, and Oregon to expand state weatherization assistance programs and create jobs

June 8, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the transfer of nearly $80 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, and Oregon to expand state weatherization assistance programs.

After submitting their comprehensive state weatherization plans that were due on May 12, these states are now receiving 40 percent of the total funding previously authorized under the legislation. Today’s announcement represents the next step in the Obama Administration’s efforts to promote energy efficiency, lower energy costs, and help support new jobs.    » read more »

Governor, Congressional delegation discuss solutions to the crisis at Regional Forum

June 08, 2009 --
RICHMOND - Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced the award of $17.5 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Funding to localities for purchasing and rehabilitating foreclosed homes so that they can be resold to low-to-moderate income families. This announcement follows the award of $7 million in funding in April.

"We have worked quickly to put together an effective program to address the impact of foreclosures across the state," Governor Kaine said. "Virginia is not immune from our national economic problems, and we are continuing to take steps to ease the housing crisis by finding and applying solutions."    » read more »

Asks Treasury Nominee to Provide Data about Program's Effectiveness, Make Loan Servicers Accountable

June 4, 2009 -- Citing a report in yesterday’s New York Times, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) questioned Herb Allison, the nominee to be the Treasury Department’s Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability, about the effectiveness of the Administration’s foreclosure mitigation program at Mr. Allison’s confirmation hearing today.    » read more »

Proposed Legislation Will Protect Distressed Homeowners and Tenants, Prevent Urban Decay, and Establish Safeguards Against Foreclosure Rescue Scams

June 3, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced legislation that would build upon a landmark subprime lending reform law enacted last year by providing additional critical protections for New York State homeowners, tenants and neighborhoods in the wake of the ongoing foreclosure crisis. The bill would help homeowners currently at risk of foreclosure and minimize the negative impact that foreclosures can have on a community.    » read more »

June 2, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter and more than a dozen state agencies, nonprofits and service providers today hosted an opportunity and help fair at the Capitol for working families struggling to survive the economic downturn.

At the fair, Gov. Ritter also signed into law six bills that will help families through this challenging time, including measures that extend unemployment benefits and provide a foreclosure "time-out" to responsible homeowners.

"We must do everything we can to help those who are struggling, to keep Coloradans in their jobs, and to keep families in their homes," Gov. Ritter said. "Today we are providing direct and immediate assistance to working families and we will continue to do so in the months ahead.    » read more »

Highlights USDA Housing Programs That Help People Obtain Homes, Weatherize and Increase Energy Efficiency

PEORIA HEIGHTS, Ill., June 1, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today kicked off National Homeownership Month at a rural housing roundtable in Peoria Heights, Ill., to discuss USDA's rural homeownership programs. The roundtable took place at Advocates for Access, a local organization that helps persons with disabilities become homeowners.

"Homeownership remains the foundation by which families and communities lay claim to the American dream," Vilsack said. "USDA's efforts will not only provide opportunity and security to homeowners, the injection of funding into communities will help stimulate local economies and create jobs."    » read more »

Company files for modest increases in electric and gas delivery charges to take effect next year

(Newark, NJ – May 29, 2009) Citing the continuing decrease in the wholesale cost of natural gas, PSE&G has proposed to lower residential gas bills this fall by about 7 percent, or about $10 per winter month for a residential gas customer using 100 therms. The company’s annual filing with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will result in the third bill decrease since January 1, 2009, for a total reduction of 18 percent, or $30, since October 2008.    » read more »

FHA plan will stimulate new home sales and help stabilize housing market

May 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - Speaking to the National Association of Home Builders Spring Board of Directors Meeting, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will allow homebuyers to apply the Obama Administration's new $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit toward the purchase costs of a FHA-insured home. Donovan said that today's action will help stabilize the nation's housing market by stimulating home sales across the country.    » read more »

Stemming Foreclosures and Keeping Families in Their Homes

May 29, 2009 -- Foreclosures continue to drag down our economy, and Michigan has one of the worst foreclosure situations in the nation. To address this issue, Congress passed and President Obama recently signed into law the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009.

The act expands and improves the Help for Homeowners program, the Federal Housing Administration’s tools to protect homeowners, and various counseling and foreclosure prevention programs to provide access and assistance to more people. It will bring much-needed help to many homeowners who are trying desperately to save their homes.    » read more »

Guidelines for use with new federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds

May 27, 2009 -- Calabasas, Calif. - As part of its commitment to stabilize communities hardest hit by foreclosures, Bank of America Home Loans has announced new streamlined capabilities for municipalities to purchase properties from its real estate-owned (REO) portfolio.

The new guidelines are exclusively for local and state government departments receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grants, to more easily and quickly acquire foreclosed properties for resale to home buyers or to address other community development needs.    » read more »