Low-income households

10/30/09 -- WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Herb Kohl announced that eight Wisconsin based financial institutions will receive New Market Tax Credits from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. These tax credits will provide financial backing for local businesses and organizations to support low-income community development in projects statewide.

Waveland Community Development, LLC - $100 million

First-Ring Industrial Redevelopment Enterprise, Inc. - $70 million

Wisconsin Community Development Legacy Fund, Inc. - $85 million J

ohnson Community Development Company. - $50 million

M&I New Markets Fund, LLC - $40 million

Wisconsin Business Growth Fund, Inc. - $35 million    » read more »

Young & Low-Income Groups Most Likely to Have Lost Coverage, 19% of Households Earning More Than $100K Impacted

UTICA, New York - Twenty-six percent of U.S. adults report that at least one member of their immediate family lost their health insurance coverage within the past year, a new Zogby Interactive poll shows.

Somewhat more likely to have lost coverage are those in households earning $35,000 and less (37%) and First GlobalsTM those 18-29 years old (35%). Nineteen percent of families earning $100,000 or more also had someone lose coverage during that period, as did 18% of the families of the Private Generation, those 65 and older.    » read more »

October 19, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today delivered opening remarks at the 2009 Maine Affordable Housing Conference at the Augusta Civic Center. The conference, hosted by MaineHousing, highlighted many innovations undertaken at the State level to address housing issues during these challenging economic times.    » read more »

Sen. Kohl Announces Treasury Initiative To Help Wisconsin Families Gain Access To Affordable Housing

10/19/09 -- WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Herb Kohl announced that the United States Treasury Department will begin purchasing mortgage revenue bonds allowing housing finance agencies, such as the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), to continue their affordable home loan program and other housing development projects move forward. These programs provide housing solutions for low and moderate income families across the state.    » read more »

Oct. 16, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter announced today the restoration of funding for the Aid to the Needy Disabled (AND) Program, which provides a monthly stipend of some $200 for food, housing and other essential services to about 6,500 of Colorado's most vulnerable residents.

To help close a $320 million budget shortfall in current FY09-10, the AND Program was slated to be suspended effective Jan. 1, 2010, for a $7.2 million savings.

"Over the past year, working together with the legislature, we've closed recession-caused budget shortfalls of nearly $2 billion," Gov. Ritter said. "We've taken great care and been guided by compassion in making surgical reductions to avoid pain where possible and preserve the safety net for those who depend on government services.    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- Washington, DC - Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee and a leading advocate for Gulf Coast recovery efforts, issued the following statement today after President Obama visited New Orleans to assess the city’s progress and heard from residents about the challenges they continue to face:

“More than four years after Hurricane Katrina, I remain concerned about the recovery of the Gulf Coast in general, and the City of New Orleans, in particular. Katrina was one of the deadliest storms in our nation’s history, taking over 1,800 lives, displacing more than one million people, severely damaging over 300,000 housing units, and causing at least $81 billion in damages.    » read more »

10/16/09 -- WASHINGTON - Congresswomen Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today announced that organizations in Westchester and Rockland Counties will receive tens of thousands in federal funding to support a variety of housing and homeownership services, and the City of White Plains will receive more than $900,000 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

“The housing crisis is especially severe in the New York metropolitan area where the cost of living is so high and affordable housing opportunities are so difficult to find,” said Lowey. “I am pleased this federal funding will support community organizations’ efforts to help those in need of housing assistance.”    » read more »

Section 3 designed to stimulate employment and economic development in local communities

October 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today launched a new campaign to increase hiring of low-income individuals and public housing residents by state and local governments that receive HUD funds.

HUD is contacting more than 3,000 state and local agencies, including public housing authorities, to document their efforts to hire low-income individuals and to contract with companies who hire them. Agencies that fail to comply may be debarred, suspended, or denied participation in HUD programs.    » read more »

October 12, 2009 -- Saint Paul – With our first taste of winter arriving earlier than expected, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is reminding families who are having trouble paying their heating bills to contact their local utility company right away.

Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule, which takes effect this Thursday, October 15, protects residential utility customers from having their heat shut off through April 15, provided they contact their utility to set up a payment plan.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), along with Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (MI-14) and Representatives Steve Cohen (TN-09), Mel Watt (NC-12), Bill Delahunt (MA-10), Linda Sanchez (CA-39) and Hank Johnson (GA-04), introduced the Civil Access to Justice Act of 2009.

The main purpose of this legislation is to reauthorize the Legal Services Corporation Act, which has not been reauthorized by Congress since 1977. A companion bill was introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (IA) earlier this year.    » read more »

10/06/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the awarding of more than $68 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) weatherization funding to non-profit, local government and community action agencies throughout the state.    » read more »

Petition Seeks Greater Attention to Environmental Justice Considerations in Review of Mining Permits

October 5, 2009 -- Washington, D.C.: Today a coalition of Appalachian residents and community organizations submitted a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) citing the need for the agency to address the environmental justice tragedy of mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia. The petition urges EPA to incorporate environmental justice considerations into its review of pending applications for mountaintop removal coal mining permits, among other actions.    » read more »

Grants will help create jobs and strengthen communities throughout Louisiana.

09/28/2009 -- WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and U.S. Representative Charlie Melancon, D-La-03, today announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $9.9 million in grants to communities throughout Louisiana, and an additional $7.47 million to the State of Louisiana.    » read more »

August 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration's effort to strengthen communities and ease pressures on the housing market, the U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced $309 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding to spur the development of affordable housing units in Arizona, Connecticut, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Vermont.    » read more »

Funds will create or retain nearly 1,000 affordable housing units, support construction jobs

August 28, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver today announced nearly $75 million in funding to 16 affordable housing projects that aid in the preservation or construction of nearly 1,000 housing units throughout the state. The awards were made through a combination of the Culver/Judge I-JOBS initiative, the federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Iowa Housing Tax Credit Program.    » read more »