Housing

May 20, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement after the Senate Banking Committee passed The Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008:

"Today, the Senate Banking Committee took an important step towards stemming the tide of foreclosures that are devastating struggling homeowners, driving down property values in our communities, and contributing to our economic downturn. The Committee adopted new reforms of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and created a permanent trust fund to help provide affordable housing for the low-income families who need it most.    » read more »

Affordable housing important to attracting workers to Kansas

May 13, 2008 -- Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has signed a bill to help more rural communities meet their housing needs.

“Right now there are more than 35,000 open jobs in Kansas,” Sebelius said. “In order to attract workers to fill these jobs, we need to make sure there is affordable housing for them and their families. It is common sense solutions like this that have kept the Kansas economy strong despite troubling national trends.”

HB 2123 raises the population limits with the Kansas Rural Housing Incentive District Act. This Act encourages housing development in rural cities and counties, where housing shortages exist, by providing grants and loans for public improvements.    » read more »

May 09, 2008 -- "Working people applaud the bipartisan effort by the U.S. House of Representatives to help struggling homeowners retain their piece of the American dream. This bill is an important step toward keeping millions of struggling families from losing everything they have worked for all their lives.

President Bush’s threat to veto this legislation is both inhumane and dangerously short-sighted. The funds in this legislation are an investment in healthy communities, vibrant neighborhoods and a stable economy.    » read more »

May 7, 2008 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced $25.5 million in grants and financing to build and renovate 396 units of affordable housing in New York State. The grants – to neighborhoods in New York City and Western New York – reinforce the Governor’s commitment to the creation and preservation of affordable housing throughout the state.

Today’s grants were approved by the boards of the New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA) and its subsidiary, the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC), which make grants to not-for-profit housing organizations around the state to help subsidize the cost of newly constructed homes and the renovation of existing housing.    » read more »

Rental Housing Support Program will assist 4,000 families and individuals over the next several years through rental subsidies

May 2, 2008 -- CHICAGO – Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today launched the country’s largest state rental assistance program that will help extremely low-income residents in Illinois achieve long-term housing stability.

Once fully operational over the next three years, the Rental Housing Support Program will assist an estimated 4,000 “rent burdened” extremely low-income individuals and families and those with special needs find safe and affordable rental housing through rental subsidies.    » read more »

120 New Affordable Apartments in LEED Certified Building on 116th Street

April 22, 2008 -- New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the completion of the Kalahari, a 249-unit mixed-income development on 116th Street in Harlem designed and built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Certification standards, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance 'green' buildings.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg tours the Kalahari condominiums: Photo courtesy New York City Governor's office    » read more »

$75 million program to reduce the number of homeless vets nationwide; $9.4 million awarded to New York City to permanently house more than 1,000 homeless veterans

April 16, 2008 -- New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Roy A. Bernardi today announced $75 million to provide permanent supportive housing for an estimated 10,000 homeless veterans nationwide.

A homeless veteran in New York City: Photo by Jonathan Greenwald (CC)    » read more »

$7.5 Million Dedicated to Development of Grand River Station in La Crosse

April 14, 2008 -- Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today announced the recipients of more than $100 million worth of affordable housing tax credits throughout the state, including $7.5 million towards the long-awaited Grand River Station in downtown La Crosse.

Wisconsin Governor Doyle: Photo courtesy Wisconsin Governor's office

The highly competitive credits have a net value spread out over 10 years and will be used to help fund multi-family developments throughout Wisconsin.    » read more »

April 10, 2008 - David Sloane, AARP Senior Vice President, issued the following response to the U.S. Senate’s passage of the “Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008”:

“AARP is disappointed the legislation failed to include needed provisions that would help prevent foreclosures. While we appreciate the inclusion of the reverse mortgage provisions of the FHA Modernization Act, we hope this bill is the down payment on a broader overall effort to protect millions of American families from the crashing housing market.    » read more »

April 10, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC – United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement today, after the Senate passed the Foreclosure Prevention Act, which makes important strides in stemming the effects of the current housing crisis.

“I’m pleased that the Senate is addressing the housing. While it is not a perfect bill, it is a recognition that this is a crisis which is not capable of healing itself.”    » read more »

April 10, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama released the following statement today on the Senate's passage of the Dodd-Shelby housing package. The measure passed by a vote of 84 to 12.

"With millions of American homeowners at risk, our government must act now to avoid a wave of foreclosures, which could devastate our neighborhoods, deal another blow to credit markets, and send the economy into a severe recession. The time has long past for far-reaching relief.

Foreclosure help sign: Photo by Cory Doctorow (CC)    » read more »

April 10, 2008 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson and Legislative leaders today announced a historic increase in funding for New York’s housing programs. The Enacted Budget includes more than $300 million in funds that will be used to address the severe shortage of affordable housing impacting New York State.

New York Governor Paterson announced enactment of the 2008-2009 budget: Photo courtesy New York Governor's office    » read more »

4/9/2008 -- After weeks of ignoring and downplaying my calls for action, the Bush Administration is finally acknowledging the need to help more struggling families restructure their mortgages and stay in their homes. But their proposal today simply underscores how out-of-touch they are with the magnitude of our economic challenges.

George W. Bush: Photo by Talk Radio News Service (CC)    » read more »

April 03, 2008 -- BOSTON – A Dorchester mortgage broker was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court yesterday afternoon on multiple charges in connection with her alleged fraudulent activity in securing subprime mortgages for several unqualified home buyers. Nicole Lyder, age 33, was arrested on Tuesday evening on unrelated charges in Norfolk County. Late last month, she was indicted by a Suffolk Grand Jury. Lyder is charged with forgery (6 counts), uttering (6 counts), making or publishing false or exaggerated statements (4 counts), and larceny of credit by false pretenses (5 counts).    » read more »

Apr 3, 2008 -- LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, after consulting with Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) Director David Maxwell and Arkansas State Health Officer Dr. Paul Halverson, has decided that Arkansas will accept FEMA mobile homes for use by Arkansas storm victims as temporary housing.

FEMA trailers in Louisiana: Photo by Joshua Miller (CC)

Arkansas is accepting only those mobile homes that have been tested by FEMA and registered formaldehyde levels at or below 40 parts per billion (ppb).    » read more »