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The City of Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing Task Force submitted its 45-page list of findings and recommendations for addressing housing issues citywide today to Mayor William Peduto and Pittsburgh City Council.

The Pennsylvania Treasury, in partnership with leading national clean energy finance company Renew Financial and the Energy Programs Consortium (EPC), a national nonprofit, is pleased to announce the re-launch of the award-winning Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (KeystoneHELP), which provides Pennsylvania homeowners with up to $20,000 of affordable financing for home energy efficiency improvements. KeystoneHELP is additionally supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST)

Governor Tom Wolf today announced that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the highest-ranking state government user of green power on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National Top 100 list of the largest green power users from the Green Power Partnership. The state ranks 26th overall among all users of green power

Governor Tom Wolf today announced the investment of $23.4 million for seven drinking water, wastewater and non-point source projects across six counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST)

Mayor William Peduto announced today that a moratorium has been placed on all 2016 property tax assessment appeals initiated by the City of Pittsburgh. This freeze comes in response to evidence that property values have been increasing in certain neighborhoods, thereby potentially causing unexpected tax increases to city residents . In particular, property tax increases may disproportionately hurt elderly residents and residents on fixed incomes

The counties of Greene, Henrico, and Shenandoah and the independent cities of Fairfax and Fredericksburg are now eligible to receive federal assistance for some of their costs incurred during the Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm occurring on January 22-23, 2016. This will allow for reimbursement for repairing infrastructure damage caused by the storms, as well as the cost of responding to them. In addition, Snow Assistance will be provided for a period of 48 hours

Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin today announced the approval of $5.3 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for projects in Armstrong, Blair, Cameron, Clinton, Elk, Fayette, Jefferson, Lackawanna, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Tioga, Venango, Warren, Wayne, and Westmoreland counties.

The following list contains contact information for water testing labs in the following counties: Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill. Please take the following steps to protect yourself and children from known or suspected lead in household drinking water

U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-5) today applauded the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for making changes to their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. The long overdue change will encourage more wood use in building construction. That includes lumber companies certified by the American Tree Farm System and landowners certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or the Forest Stewardship Council.

Mayor William Peduto and the City of Pittsburgh today are celebrating the valuable service of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps volunteers in Pittsburgh as part of the fourth annual Mayor and County Recognition Day for National Service.

As a result of shortsighted planning and a lack of funding for much-needed repairs to decaying locks and dams on the Ohio and Mon Rivers, Southwestern Pennsylvania waterways are in dangerous condition. At Charleroi, the concrete wall can visibly be seen moving as water flows through the lock. The Edgeworth Dam on the Ohio River has been rated as most likely to fail. Yet each year, the cost of maintenance grows and the need for upgrades become more urgent. In fact, the Army Corp of Engineers reports the condition of inland locks and dams in the United States is “a crisis headed for catastrophe.”

The city’s inaugural Inclusive Innovation Week will be formally kicked off Monday in the Strip District, in an event featuring Mayor William Peduto; Councilwoman Deborah Gross; Debra Lam, Chief & Director of Innovation & Performance; Valerie McDonald-Roberts, Chief Urban Affairs Officer; and Thomas Link, Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship with the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

State Treasurer Timothy A. Reese reminds Pennsylvania businesses that April 15 is the deadline to turn over any abandoned money or property after three years of inactivity or dormancy to the Pennsylvania Treasury. This can include financial assets or forgotten tangible items. Holders that do not file a report by April 15 may be subject to interest and penalties

This Saturday, Congressman Chaka Fattah will join leaders from the Philadelphia community to witness the demolition of the Norman Blumberg Apartments and celebrate the redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhood. It was announced by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) in 2015 that the high-rise, former public housing project would be demolished concurrent with a comprehensive plan that the blocks surrounding the existing high-rises would be targeted for extensive development.

Governor Tom Wolf and Brigadier General Anthony Carrelli, acting adjutant general with the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), today announced that Pennsylvania exceeded its 100-day goal with 629 homeless veterans in Pennsylvania were placed in permanent housing between Sept. 23 and Dec. 31, 2015 as part of the Governor’s challenge to significantly reduce veteran homelessness. The 100-day challenge was announced on Sept. 22 with a goal of serving 550 homeless veterans by the end of 2015.

The board of the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority accepted the resignation today of Executive Director Jim Good, and will immediately begin a nationwide search for a new Executive Director.

White-water boating enthusiasts once again will converge on Bucks County’s Tohickon Creek Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20, when the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources releases water from Lake Nockamixon into Tohickon Creek.

The City of Pittsburgh is hosting four Deliberative Forums on the Affordable Housing Task Force’s mission to provide a more robust way for community members to give feedback to city officials and Task Force members.

Massive cuts at the state level and a lack of real investment in education is not only hurting school districts across Pennsylvania, but also having a devastating impact on middle-class families and seniors who can no longer afford to pay for the Republican property tax increases that have been passed down to local communities over the past several years

During Appropriation Committee hearings in both the Pennsylvania House and Senate today, State Treasurer Timothy Reese highlighted the department’s key accomplishments during the past year, discussed operational challenges associated with the budget impasse, and described key initiatives the department is launching.